Bopanna and Shuai Triumph in Australian Open Mixed Doubles Opener

Rohan Bopanna and Zhang Shuai advanced to the second round of the Australian Open 2025, defeating Kristina Mladenovic and Ivan Dodig in a commanding match. Their strong start set the tone, ultimately securing their win. Bopanna's past achievements include a 2023 final appearance and a Rio 2016 semi-final berth.

In an impressive showcase of skill and synergy, Rohan Bopanna and Zhang Shuai surged into the second round of the Australian Open 2025's mixed doubles on Friday. The dynamic Indo-Chinese duo outplayed French Kristina Mladenovic and Croatia's Ivan Dodig with a straight-set victory, 6-4, 6-4, on the renowned Melbourne Park hard courts.

Bopanna and Shuai established dominance early by clinching a 3-0 lead in the first set, breaking their opponents' serves twice. Despite a spirited comeback attempt by Mladenovic and Dodig, the formidable pair managed to hold their serves, cementing their win in the opening set. The second set saw an intense back-and-forth as neither pair could hold serves in the initial games. However, strategic play allowed Bopanna and Shuai to break Mladenovic in the seventh game.

Bopanna, drawing on his vast experience, served meticulously to conclude the match, ensuring a seamless entry into the next round. His history at the Australian Open is notable, having reached the finals in 2023 with Sania Mirza and competing in men's doubles alongside Nicolas Barrientos this year, although they faced an early exit against Spain's Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar. Meanwhile, India's N Sriram Balaji and Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela are set to clash with Portugal's Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral in the men's doubles. On Thursday, they triumphed over Robin Haase of Netherlands and Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Nedovyesov. India's singles hopes were dashed as Sumit Nagal fell to Czech Tomas Machac in the opening round.

(With inputs from agencies.)