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India at Oz Open: Paes in last 16, Sania knocked out in women's doubles

January 22, 2017 12:34 IST

Switzerland's Martina Hingis and India's Leander Paes discuss tactics in their first round match against Australia's Destanee Aiava and Marc Polmans on Day 7 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Sunday

IMAGE: Switzerland's Martina Hingis and India's Leander Paes discuss tactics in their first round match against Australia's Destanee Aiava and Marc Polmans on Day 7 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Sunday. Photograph: Pat Scala/Getty Images

India had mixed fortunes at the Australian Open as Leander Paes got off to a winning start in mixed doubles but it was end of the road for the fourth-seeded pair of Sania Mirza and her doubles partner, Czech, Barbora Strycova in the women's doubles event.

Veteran Paes and his partner Switzerland's Martina Hingis won their first match against Australians Destanee Aiava and Marc Polmans 6-4, 6-3 to progress to the round of 16 at the MelbournePark.

The Indo-Siwss duo took 51 minutes to pull off a straight sets win.

Serving 2 aces, they had 20 winners and committed nine unforced errors to their opponents' 15 winners and 12 unforced errors.

However, Sania was in for a disappointment as the Indian, partnering Strýcova lost to unseeded Japanese pair of E Hozumi and M Kato 3-6, 6-2, 2-6 in a third round match that lasted an hour and 53 minutes.

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