Australian Open: Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna suffer first round losses

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Melbourne, Jan. 19: It was a bad day in office for the Indian camp as both Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna suffered first round losses in the ongoing Australian Open.

In the men's doubles event of the ongoing Grand Slam, Bopanna along with partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin lost their opening match. Wild card entry pair of Treat Huey of the Philippines and Indonesia's Christopher Rungkat handed Bopanna-Vasselin a first round loss on court 5 on Wednesday.

In a match which lasted an hour and 48 minutes, Huey and Rungkat fought back to end Bopanna and Vasselin's campaign early, with a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Bopanna and Vasselin got broke their opponents early in game 4 of the first set and wrapped up the first set comfortably. But the Huey and Rungkat bounced back in the tiebreak game in the second game and carried on the momentum to win the third set and pocket the win.

Meanwhile, playing later in the day, Sania Mirza along with her partner Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine also suffered an opening round loss in the women's doubles event of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Mirza and Kichenok went to Slovenian pair Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek on Wednesday. It was a comfortable straight sets win for Juvan and Zidansek and they notched up a 6-4, 7-6 win over Mirza and Kichenok. After a listless first set where the Mirza and Kichenok looked out of sorts and were completely outplayed by the Slovenian pair, the duo fought hard in the second set but it wasn't enough as their campaign ended early.

This brings an end to India's campaign in the men's and women's doubles category. But the duo will be in action in the mixed doubles category with their respective partners in the ongoing grand slam in Melbourne.