US Open : Bopanna, Sania advance to second round

India’s leading doubles players Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza began their US Open campaigns with victories in their respective events, albeit, in contrasting fashion in New York.

Bopanna and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas shrugged off a surprise first set lapse to regroup and beat American pair of Bradley Klahn and Scott Lipksy 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the opening round of the men’s doubles event.

In the second round they face the Italian team of Simone Bolelli and Fabio



Fognini.

In the women’s doubles, Mirza and her Chinese partner Shuai Peng overcame the challenge of Croatian team of Petra Martic and Donna Vekic in the opening round.

It took the Indo-Chinese pair just 55 minutes to cross the first hurdle.

Mirza and Peng broke their rivals four times but also dropped their serve once in the match.

They next face Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova and Magdalena Rybarikova.