Melbourne, Jan 14 (PTI) Former world No 1 Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos bowed out in the opening round men’s doubles at the Australian Open, losing to the Spanish duo Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in straight sets 5-7, 6-7 (5) here on Tuesday.
The 14th-seeded Indo-Colombian pair began with promise but faltered in crucial moments, allowing the Spaniards to capitalise and secure victory in a one -hour 54-minutes battle.
Bopanna and Barrientos got off to a solid start, holding serve comfortably in the initail games.
However, the Spanish pair gradually gained momentum, showcasing consistency from the baseline and tactical net play.
The decisive moment came late in the set when Martinez and Munar earned a crucial break to take the opener.
In a rollercoaster second set, both the pairs pushed each other to the limit.
Martinez and Munar first cruised to a 5-3 lead and appeared poised to close out the match while serving for it.
However, Bopanna and Barrientos staged a spirited fightback, breaking their opponents’ serve to level the score at 5-5.
The set ultimately went to a tie-break, where the Spaniards kept their composure, edging past the 14th seeds 7-5 to clinch the match.
The 44-year-old Indian had won the 2024 edition with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden.
That historic victory made Bopanna at 43 the oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title.
However, the Bopanna-Ebden partnership concluded after the Turin ATP Finals in November last year leading to this new pairing with Barrientos.
India’s top ranked singles player Sumit Nagal also made a first round exit, losing to world No 25 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in straight sets oon Monday. PTI TAP KHS
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