Indian tennis ace Leander Paes, returning to action after a gap of five months, lost his comeback match when he and his Czech partner Tomas Cibulec crashed out of the men's doubles at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.

The tenth seeds were upset 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 3-6 in the first round by Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela and Spaniard Oscar Hernandez.

Paes will also feature in the mixed doubles along with the legendary Martina Navratilova. The duo, the defending champions, have been seeded fourth.

The Indian Davis Cup hero was out of action since last August, undergoing treatment after being hospitalised for a lesion in the brain.