In a display of clinical efficiency, Yuki Bhambri and Andre Goransson cruised past Australian wild cards James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt 6-3, 6-4 to secure their spot in the Australian Open men’s doubles second round. The 10th seeds wrapped up the match in under an hour on Wednesday, setting the stage for a potential deep run in Melbourne.
Bhambri’s serve was a fortress throughout, with the duo holding serve impeccably in both sets. They blanked opponents in four service games per set, striking a lone break each time to clinch the frames. This dominance left little room for the home favorites to mount a comeback.
Looking ahead, the Indo-Swedish pair will face either Santiago Gonzalez-David Pel or Marcelo Melo-Fernando Romboli in the next round. Their partnership has already tasted grand slam success, including a US Open semifinal last year, and Bhambri’s 2014 third-round appearance here adds to the optimism.
Adding to his workload, Bhambri teams with American Nicole Melichar-Martinez in mixed doubles, taking on top seeds Zhang Shuai and Tim Puetz tomorrow. The 2018 Wimbledon mixed champ brings pedigree to the court.
Sadly, fellow Indian Niki Poonacha’s campaign ended early, losing in straight tiebreak sets to the Spanish duo of Martinez and Munar alongside his Thai teammate.
Bhambri’s journey underscores India’s growing doubles prowess, blending tactical acumen with raw power. Fans will watch closely as he navigates this stacked draw toward the business end of the tournament.