Australian Open 2023: Sania Mirza keeps going; Saketh Myneni-Yuki Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan lose

Melbourne: Sania Mirza was at her ruthless best on the outside court in chilly conditions that saw the Hyderabadi and her teammate Anna Danilina win in straight sets on Thursday at the Australian Open. Elsewhere, the pairing of Saketh Myneni and Yuki Bhambri were sent packing from the men’s doubles event blowing a 3-1 lead in the deciding set. Ramkumar Ramanathan, and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela, also exited the competition in the first round. Locals say Melbourne can have all four weathers in a single day and that was there to be felt on the fourth day of the first major of the year. The cold and chilly winds of the morning transposed to bright, searing sunshine in the afternoon. By the time Mirza stepped up to the court, it was overcast, and cold winds started to blow once again.

Blip at the end but Mirza and Danilina get it done to progress to the second round with a 6-2, 7-5 win. pic.twitter.com/etU6RKiHyS

— Tanuj Lakhina (@tanujlakhina) January 19, 2023

That didn’t stop the 36-year-old from hitting her trademark thundering forehands and engaging in some sensational rallies from the baseline. Playing her last Grand Slam and second-last tournament before retiring, you’d be hard-pressed to explain why she’s letting go. Mirza and Danilina beat Dalma Galfi and Bernarda Pera 6-2, 7-5, withstanding a comeback from the Hungarian-American pairing. If the first set was a cakewalk, taking just 24 minutes, the second saw Galfi-Pera hit back from 1-4 down to lead 5-4. Sania Mirza: Most perfect Grand Slam to end my career With backs against the wall, Mirza held to love and made it 5-5. American Pera was then broken despite going 40-0 up. Kazakhstan’s Danilina served the contest out converting a third match point opportunity with some deft volleys. “When I get into a match, my expectation is to try and win it. So yes, that went according to plan. Obviously, it cannot always be straightforward. You want to try and win as easy as possible, it doesn’t always happen. We got a bit tentative, maybe at a set and 4-1, and then one break later, all of a sudden, you get a little bit tighter. “But you have to give credit to the other people as well, you know, they made us play a lot. They were hitting bigger. We’re happy to close it out in two sets. At the end of the day, you’re out there to try and win, whether it’s in two sets, three sets, no matter the score, you have to try and win,” Mirza told Firstpost after the win. Disappointment for Indian men If Mirza progressed and had cause to celebrate, the Indian men in action on the day faced disappointment. Myneni-Bhambri let a 3-1 advantage slip to concede five straight games and lose 6-7, 7-6, 3-6 against Andreas Mies and John Peers in two hours and 45 minutes. On another outside court, Ramanathan and Reyes-Varela lost 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 to Greek brothers Petros and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Peers and Mies beat Bhambri and Myneni 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in two hours and 48 minutes. The Indians had two set points in the first set, weren't able to convert. Then conceded five straight games at the end

Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sania Mirza in action today pic.twitter.com/EibFwRAfyP

— Tanuj Lakhina (@tanujlakhina) January 19, 2023

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In a topsy-turvy contest, Bhambri-Myneni, coming fresh off a title in Bangkok, let multiple chances go. Bhambri was broken while serving for the first set, squandering two set point opportunities - one with a double fault. In the second set, Mies and Peers were guilty of missing a simple putaway on the second match point chance only to be broken. During the tiebreak, Myneni produced two clinical body serves to put the Indians into ascendancy at 6-3. On the second set point, Bhambri smacked a winner to force a decider out of nowhere. In the third set, Bhambri, 30, and Myneni, 35, were off the block immediately. They broke in the very first game and kept the momentum going until 3-1. Bhambri erred at 30-40 in the sixth game as he expected a ball to go long only for it to land in comfortably. It was then that a pumped Mies, chattering away with an individual in the crowd in German, produced incredible doubles tennis – reflex volleys, cross-court winners, down-the-line winners – to stage a comeback. Soon enough, Peers closed the match out and India’s campaign at the 2023 Australian Open – where there are no singles representatives for the first time at a major since 2017 – started with a defeat. “It was a little bit up and down. I think we started well, I think the first game only took a while. We were trying to put pressure and all that. And unfortunately, we couldn’t win the first set, the tiebreak could have gone either way. We lost a little momentum there. And then second set the same exact thing,” said Myneni after the match. “We tried to be aggressive, trying to take balls off early. And we were down a break and then suddenly, those guys are looking at the finish line. Suddenly, we broke back, and it changed the scenario, the momentum. I think we had a good five-six games. By end of the second set to middle of third set, there was a lot of change. “I think we couldn’t keep up and they started playing better also. Certain balls they were hitting through and just going on. At this level, the margin of error is very small. And we have learned from this. Hopefully, we end up on the good side next time,” he added.

Ramkumar Ramanathan and partner Miguel Reyes-Varela🇲🇽 goes down to Tsitsipas duo in first round of Australian Open

Ramanathan/Reyes-Varela🇲🇽 l. Tsitsipas🇬🇷/Tsitsipas🇬🇷 : 6-3 5-7 3-6 pic.twitter.com/ID6IwOOCpK

— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) January 19, 2023

Over on Court 13, Ramanathan and Reyes-Varela were in a commanding position after the first set but let that momentum go to suffer a defeat in just over two hours. India’s campaign in the doubles also features the mixed pairing of Rohan Bopanna and Mirza. Bopanna will first take the court on Friday in men’s doubles alongside Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.