Australian Open 2025: India's N Sriram Balaji, Miguel Angel Reyes bow out with second-round loss in men's doubles

India's disappointing run in the ongoing Australian Open 2025 continued as the pair of N Sriram Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela bowed out of men's doubles with a second round loss to the Portuguese pair of Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral on Saturday. The pair of Balaji and Reyes-Varela lost 6-7 (7), 6-4, 3-6 after two hours and nine minutes of intense play at Melbourne Park.

The first set was a gripping affair that lasted 56 minutes with neither pair able to break serve as it went into a tiebreaker, where Borges and Cabral held their composure under pressure to go one set up. The Indo-Mexican pair started strong, taking an early 2-1 lead and maintaining their momentum to go up 5-4.

However, the Portuguese duo responded well, holding their serve to make it 5-5, and then 6-6, pushing the set into a tiebreak. Borges and Cabral did well to grab the set.

With powerful serves, precise winners, and crucial breakpoints, the Indo-Mexican duo maintained control throughout the second set and sealed it with an ace and a forehand winner to bring the match on level terms.

In the decider, Borges and Cabral broke their rivals in the fourth game to go 3-1 up before both holding their serves. Borges and Cabral then displayed urgency with powerful serve and the former's forehand winners to earn a break in the ninth game and eliminate their rivals.

The Indo-Mexican pair had defeated the duo of Robin Haase and Aleksandr Nedovyesov in the first round.

India's last hope at Australian Open 2025

Rohan Bopanna, who had earlier lost his men's doubles match in the opening round, is India's last hope in this competition this year. The 44-year-old had won his first round clash in mixed doubles with Chinese partner Zhang Shuai. They defeated French-Croatian duo Kristina Mladenovic and Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-4.

In the second round, the Bopanna-Shuai pair will take on either the pair of Maddison Inglis and Jason Murray Kubler or the duo of Taylor Townsend and Hugo Nys.

With PTI inputs