India’s challenge in the men’s doubles came to an early end at the Australian Open on Wednesday, with the three pairs involving Indian players losing in the first round itself.
The biggest upset was the new partnership of the Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, seeded 15th, who lost to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia Lopez. The all-Indian pair, who had won the season-opening Maharashtra Open at home, made a brief recovery but lost the match 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Veteran Leander Paes, who was back in Melbourne 30 years after his first Major there as a junior, also lost in the first round. The Indian and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela went down to 5-7, 6-7(4) to the American-Kiwi pair of Austin Krajicek and Artem Sitak.
Australian open juniors 1989 was the first Grand Slam I ever played. 30 years later and still excited as ever to play at Melbourne Park. It’s the first place I believed I could become a professional tennis player! Always live your dreams 🙋🏽♂🎾🏆 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/saIPWdjHAH
— Leander Paes (@Leander) January 15, 2019
Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, playing with Nicholas Monroe, lost 6-4, 6-7(8), 5-7 to Nikola Mektic and Kevin Krawietz.
There are no Indians in the women’s doubles. However, Indian players will have a chance in the mixed doubles, the draw for which will be held this week. Bopanna had reached the final of the mixed doubles with Timea Babos at the Australian Open last year, losing 6-2, 4-6, 9-11 to Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski.