Synopsis
Rohan Bopanna and Zhang Shuai's journey at the Australian Open ends in the mixed doubles quarterfinals after a close defeat to Olivia Gadecki and John Peers. Despite a strong fight, they couldn't secure victory in the super tie-break.Key Takeaways
- Rohan Bopanna and Zhang Shuai reached the quarterfinals.
- The duo lost in a super tie-break to Australian wild cards.
- Bopanna previously reached the mixed doubles final in 2023.
- Other Indian players also faced early exits in the tournament.
- Bopanna holds the record as the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title.
Melbourne, Jan 21 (NationPress) Indian star Rohan Bopanna and his mixed doubles teammate Zhang Shuai from China were eliminated from the Australian Open after a defeat against the homegrown pair, Olivia Gadecki and John Peers, in the quarterfinal match on Tuesday.
The Indo-Chinese duo faced a scoreline of 6-2, 4-6, 9-11 against their Australian counterparts in a closely contested encounter that lasted one hour and eight minutes at Kia Arena. This setback also marked the end of India's journey in the season's inaugural major tournament.
Bopanna and Shuai had made it to the quarterfinals after receiving a walkover from the fourth-seeded pair, Taylor Townsend from the USA and Hugo Nys from Monaco, in the second round.
The Indo-Chinese team took the lead by winning the first set, but their Australian rivals fought back to win the second set, resulting in a super tie-break that ultimately determined the match's outcome.
Despite a valiant effort, Bopanna and Zhang could not secure the victory in the super tie-break. After an early break in Bopanna's serve, they endeavored to recover but were unable to convert their match point at 9-8. The Australian duo capitalized on a wide return from Zhang to clinch the win.
It’s noteworthy that Bopanna reached the mixed doubles final with Sania Mirza in 2023.
Additionally, Bopanna participated in the men’s doubles event at the Australian Open alongside Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos, but they were defeated 7-5, 7(7)-6(5) by Spain’s Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in the first round.
Bopanna made history as the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era when he claimed the Australian Open men’s doubles title with Matthew Ebden last year. The pair parted ways at the end of 2024, and neither player advanced beyond the opening round of the men’s doubles event at this year's Australian Open.
Other Indian players, Yuki Bhambri with French partner Albano Olivetti, and Rithvik Bollipalli with Ryan Seggerman from the USA, also exited in the first round of the men’s doubles event.
N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela were eliminated in the second round.
In singles, Sumit Nagal faced an early exit after losing to Czechia’s Tomas Machac.
