Mahesh Bhupathi suffers first round exit from Australian Open mixed doubles

IANS
Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia and Mahesh Bhupathi of India in action in their first round mixed doubles match against Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei and Jamie Murray of Great Britain

Melbourne, Jan 24: India's veteran tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi saw his this year's Australian Open journey come to an end when he and Jarmila Gajdosova went down 6-4, 6-7 (7), 8-10 to to Chinese Taipei's Hao-Ching Chan and Briton Jamie Murray in the mixed doubles first round of this season's first Grand Slam here on Saturday.

The Indo-Australian pair took an early lead , winning the first set 6-4 but failed to capitalise on the advantage losing the next two to surrender the match in 90 minutes on court seven at the Melbourne Park.

Bhupathi's doubles campaign ended Thursday when he and his partner Austrian Jurgen Melzer lost in the first round.

In the junior section, Pranjala Yadlapalli beat South Africa's Katie Poluta 6-4, 6-3 to qualify for the girls' singles competition. Vut Ojasvinee Singh lost 6-0, 4-6, 1-6 to America's Olivia Hauger.

In the boys category, Sumit Nagal defeated American Michael Mmoh 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.