India’s challenge ended in the men’s doubles event of the Australian Open with the defeat of Mahesh Bhupathi and Daniel Nestor even as Sania Mirza and Bob Bryan progressed to the mixed doubles quarter-finals, in Melbourne on Monday.
Sania was joined in the last eight by Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)-Rohan Bopanna (IND) who beat Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)-Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-1, 7-5. The match lasted just 54 minutes.
The fifth seeded Bhupathi and Canadian partner Nestor were sent packing 3-6 6-4 3-6 by the unseeded Italian combo of Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini in the second round.
Sania Mirza and Bob Bryan are through to the last eight. Getty Images
Defending champions Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek were shocked in the first round while Rohan Bopanna and Rajeev Ram could not go beyond the second round.
However, in the mixed doubles, all four Indian players are still alive with Sania and her new American partner Bob advancing to quarter-finals with a come-from-behind win.
The third seeded Indo-American team defeated the US team of Abigail Spears and 4-6 6-1 10-4 in the second round.
They will now fight it out with Czech team of Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak for a place in the semifinals.
PTI
