India round off a good day in Melbourne

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna won both their respective doubles and mixed doubles matches to enter the third round. However, Mahesh Bhupathi’s men’s doubles campaign came to an end after a tight defeat. Partnering Zimbabwean Cara Black in women’s doubles, Sania cruised to a 7-5, 6-1 win against Monica Niculescu (Rom) and Klara Zakopalova (Czech Rep).

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna won both their respective doubles and mixed doubles matches to enter the third round. However, Mahesh Bhupathi’s men’s doubles campaign came to an end after a tight defeat. Partnering Zimbabwean Cara Black in women’s doubles, Sania cruised to a 7-5, 6-1 win against Monica Niculescu (Rom) and Klara Zakopalova (Czech Rep).

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Later, playing with Romanian partner Horia Tecau, she won her mixed doubles first round against Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei and Robert Lindstedt from Sweden 4-6 7-6(3), 10-8.

Leander Paes and Czech partner Radek Stepanek, recorded a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win over Italian Daniele Bracciali and Alexandr Dolgopolov from Ukraine to move to the pre-quarters of men’s doubles. Now Paes and Stepanek will clash with Yuki Bhambri and his New Zealand partner Michael Venus, who had shocked 10th seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.

Rohan Bopanna also emerged victorious in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles. With Pakistani partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, the Indian beat the British pair of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in men’s doubles second round.

In mixed doubles first round, he and Slovakian partner Katarina Srebotnik, seeded second, overwhelmed Raquel Kops-Jones and Treat Huey 6-2, 6-3. However, Mahesh Bhupathi and his American partner Rajeev Ram were ousted after a tight 4-6, 6-7(7) defeat against Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.