Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

India@ Aus Open: Divij, Ankita bow out of doubles

February 11, 2021 12:32 IST

Divij Sharan

IMAGE: Divij Sharan and his Slovakian partner Igor Zelenay went down to the German combination of Yannick Hanfmann Kevin Krawietz in the first round of the men's doubles at the Australian Open. Photograph: Luke Walker/Getty Images for LT

India's Divij Sharan and Ankita Raina crashed out of the Australian Open men's and women's doubles events respectively, after suffering straight set defeats in the opening round in Melbourne on Thursday.

 

Ankita, the third Indian woman tennis player to secure a place in the main draw of a Grand Slam event, and her partner Mihaela Buzarnecu of Romania lost 3-6, 0-6 in just one hour and 17 minutes at the hands of Australian wild card pair of Olivia Gadecki and Belinda Woolcock.

India's challenge also ended in the men's doubles competition after Divij and his Slovakian partner Igor Zelenay lost 1-6, 4-6 against the German combination of Yannick Hanfmann Kevin Krawietz in the first round match.

On Wednesday, the other Indian in men's doubles event, Rohan Bopanna and Japan's Ben McLachlan bowed out in the opening round after a 4-6 6-7(0) defeat to the Korean wild card pair of Ji Sung Nam and Min-Kyu Song.

The veteran Bopanna, however, still has a chance to make amends as he will partner China's Yingying Duan in the mixed doubles and will be up against the pair of American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and United Kingdom's Jamie Murray in the first round.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.