Paes, Sharan-Raja bow out of Aussie open men's doubles

Melbourne (Australia): It was a bad day for the Indians at the Australian Open with Leander Paes and the rising team of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan making first round exits from the men’s doubles event, here.

Paes and his Brazilian partner Andre Sa had a one-set advantage but lost 6-4 6-7(3) 4-6 to 10th seeded pair of Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi.

It was the same team that Paes and Andre had beaten in the Auckland Classic opener.

In another first round match, Raja and Sharan, who ended runners-up at season-opener Chennai Open, fought their hearts out before suffering a narrow 6-7(9) 6-7(4) defeat against the French team of Jonathan Eysseric and Fabrice Martin.

Rohan Bopanna is now the only Indian left in the men’s doubles. Along with Uruguyay’s Pablo Cuevas, he is up against local team of Alex Bolt and Bradley Mousley in the second round.