Australian Open: Rohan Bopanna, Zhang reach mixed doubles second round
What's the story
Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his mixed doubles partner Shuai Zhang progressed to the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.
The Indio-Chinese duo registered a convincing 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Dodig and Kristina Mladenovic in Melbourne on Friday.
The match lasted an hour and 12 minutes, marking Bopanna's comeback after an early ouster in the men's doubles.
Match highlights
Bopanna, Zhang dominate opening set
The Indo-Chinese pair was in complete control of the first set, racing to a 3-0 lead.
Although Dodig and Mladenovic broke Zhang's serve, bring the score down to 3-2, Bopanna was undeterred and served out the set at 6-4.
The second set witnessed both pairs trading breaks in a closely fought contest.
However, Bopanna and Zhang pounced on their opponents' mistakes to level the score at 4-4.
Match statistics
Bopanna-Zhang duo outperforms opponents in key areas
Bopanna and Zhang outshined their opponents by converting five of their nine break points, while Dodig and Mladenovic failed to convert any of their 17 break points.
The Indo-Chinese pair also excelled in serving with four aces and winning 31 of 48 service points.
They were efficient on returns too, securing 10 of their 34 return points compared to their opponents' 17 of 48.
Performance analysis
Bopanna continue to march
Bopanna and Zhang showed better net skills with four volley winners as well as four passing shots.
Their groundstroke accuracy was also on display with three forehand winners, while Dodig-Mladenovic didn't get any.
This win is a career-defining one for Bopanna, who had reached the final in 2023 along with Sania Mirza. He had become the world number one in doubles after winning his first Grand Slam doubles title at the 2024 Australian Open with Matthew Ebden.