Australian Open: Sania Mirza loses in women’s doubles; Jeevan-Balaji pair crash out in men’s doubles

Mirza and her Kazakh partner Danilina, seeded eighth, lost to Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck and Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 4-6 6-4 2-6 in a clash that lasted a little over two hours.

After going down in the opening set of the match, Mirza-Danilina forced the match into a decider despite being 0-3 down in the second by winning the set 6-4, but the pair were outplayed by the Belgian-Ukrainian pair in the final set 2-6.

Earlier in the tournament, Mirza and Danilina overpowered the Hungarian-American team of Dalma Galfi and Bernarda Pera in the first round of women’s doubles.

Mirza is, however, still alive in the mixed doubles draw with veteran Rohan Bopanna. The duo had dispatched locals Jaimee Fourlis and Luke Saville 7-5 6-3 in their opening round on Saturday (January 21).

A six-time Grand Slam champion (three in women’s doubles and mixed doubles each), the 36-year-old Mirza had announced that the Australian Open would be her last Grand Slam and she would be retiring after the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships, slated from February 19.

Balaji-Jeevan crash out

The Indian men’s doubles pair of N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan’s run in the competition was also halted by the French duo of Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin in the second round.

Balaji and Nedunchezhiyan, who came into the tournament as an alternate team, were handed a 4-6 4-6 defeat, ending India’s challenge in the men’s doubles event.

The Indian pair had earlier overcome fifth-seeded Croat-American pair of Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-4 in the first round of the men’s doubles event.

Earlier in the tournament, Bopanna, who teamed up with Australia’s Matthew Ebden, and seeded 10th in the men’s doubles competition suffered a first round exit following a 3-6, 5-7 loss to Austrian pair Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler.