Rohan Bopanna and Nadiia Kichenok never looked as equal competitors against the world number five pair of Nektic and Krejcikova.
Rohan Bopanna file image. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)
Indian Tennis player Rohan Bopanna, along with his Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok, crashed out of the mixed doubles event of the ongoing Australian Open. They lost their quarterfinal match in straight sets 0-6, 2-6 to fifth seed Nikola Mektic and Barbora Krejcikova on Thursday.
With the defeat of the Indo-Ukrainian pair, the Indian challenge in Melbourne has also ended. The other Indians who had participated in the main draw of the year’s first Major are Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Prajnesh Gunneswaran.
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Bopanna and Kichenok never looked as equal competitors against the world number five pair of Nektic and Krejcikova. In the second set, Bopanna and Kichenok managed to hold their serves in the first game but once they were broken in the second and the seventh, the Croatian-Czech duo eased past their rivals and sealed a semi berth.
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Earlier on the day, Spanish Tennis player Garbine Muguruza stunned world number three Simona Halep in straight sets to book her spot in the final of the women’s singles event of the Australian Open for the first time. She defeated Halep 7-6 (8), 7-5 at the Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
In the title-deciding clash, Muruguza will face 14th seed Sofia Kenin who defeated world number Ashleigh Barty earlier on the day. Kenin battled early nerves and the vocal Aussie crowd who was supporting the local to win 6-7(8), 5-7
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