Bopanna-Ram duo out of Australian Open

Bopanna and Ram, who shocked the fifth seeded pair of Leander Paes and Paul Hanley in the second round, went down 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 in their third round encounter against Coetzee and Moodie.

Rohan Bopanna and his American partner of Indian origin Rajeev Ram's run in the Australian Open was halted by the South African pair of Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie, who progressed to the quarterfinals of the men's doubles event here on Monday.

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Bopanna and Ram, who shocked the fifth seeded pair of Leander Paes and Paul Hanley in the second round, went down 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 in their third round encounter against Coetzee and Moodie.

The duo looked to have it all over their opponents early, combining well to establish a one-set lead. But the match turned midway through the second set, with the South Africans able to get back in the match and then go on to claim it in 102 minutes.

Bopanna and Ram looked very comfortable early, conceding just eight points on serve in the first set, while taking their only break-point opportunity to jump clear.

The second set saw Moodie and Coetzee get the early break, but Ram and Bopanna were determined to maintain their momentum and got it back later in the set. They faltered on their next service game, and the South Africans levelled the match.

Moodie and Coetzee will face fourth seeded Czech pairing Martin Damm and Pavel Vizner in the quarterfinals.