Australian Open 2025: India’s N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela advanced to the second round of the Australian Open 2025 with a commanding victory in straight sets over Robin Haase and Aleksandr Nedovyesov on Thursday.
This was India’s first win at the Australian Open 2025 after Sumit Nagal, Rohan Bopanna, and Yuki Bhambri lost in their first-round matches. While Nagal lost to world no.26 Tomas Machac in men’s singles, Bopanna and his partner Nicolas Barrientos went down to Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar of Spain 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).
Bhambri and his partner Albano Olivetti bowed out after losing to Australian duo Tristan Schoolkate and Adam Walton 6-2, 7(7)-6(3).
The Indo-Mexican duo of Balaji and Reyes-Varela defeated the Dutch-Kazakh pair 6-4, 6-3 in just over an hour in their opening men’s doubles clash. Balaji and Reyes-Varela hit 23 winners compared to their opponents’ 16, showcasing superior consistency and firepower.
Balaji and Reyes-Varela were immediately broken back after securing a break in the sixth game of the first set. However, a decisive backhand winner in the 10th game allowed them to clinch the set.
Haase and Nedovyesov committed a costly, unforced error in the second set, gifting Balaji and Reyes-Varela a crucial break in the eight-game. The Indo-Mexican pair capitalised on the opportunity, sealing the set and the match comfortably.
In the second round, the pair of Balaji and Reyes-Varela will face Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral of Portugal. Nuno and Cabral had defeated Michael Venus and Nikola Mektic in the first round.
Rithvik Bollipalli exits in the first round
Meanwhile, Rithvik Bollipalli became the third Indian to exit the men’s doubles event, following Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri. Bollipalli and his American partner Ryan Seggerman lost 6-7, 1-6 to the sixth-seeded pair of Finland’s Harri Heliovaara and the UK’s Henry Patten.
Meanwhile, Anirudh Chandrasekar and Karol Drzewiecki exited the tournament after a 7-6, 6-2 defeat to Damir Dzumhur and Petros Tsitsipas on Court 12.
