NewKerala.com

Bhambri-Goransson Cruise Into Australian Open Doubles Second Round

The 10th-seeded pair of Yuki Bhambri and Andre Goransson secured a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over wild cards James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt. Their win was built on a dominant serving display, dropping minimal points on their own serve throughout the match. They await the winners of the match between Gonzalez/Pel and Melo/Romboli in the second round. In other action, Indian player Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha was eliminated in the first round of men's doubles.

Key Points: Bhambri-Goransson Win at Australian Open Men's Doubles

  • Straight-sets victory in 57 minutes
  • Dominant serving performance
  • Face Gonzalez/Pel or Melo/Romboli next
  • Bhambri to also play mixed doubles
  • Poonacha exits in first round
2 min read

Aus Open: Bhambri-Garansson march into men's doubles second round

Indian Yuki Bhambri and Swedish partner Andre Goransson advance to the second round of the Australian Open 2026 men's doubles in straight sets.

"Bhambri and Goransson dominated proceedings from the start, delivering a near-perfect serving performance. - Report"

Melbourne, Jan 21

India's Yuki Bhambri and his Swedish partner Andre Garansson progressed to the second round of the Australian Open 2026 men's doubles event with a win over local wild cards James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt, the son of former World No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam winner Lleyton Hewitt, in Melbourne on Wednesday.

The 10th-seeded Indo-Swedish pair registered a 6-3, 6-4 victory in just 57 minutes. In the second round, Bhambri and Goransson will face either Mexico's Santiago Gonzalez and the Netherlands' David Pel or the Brazilian pairing of Marcelo Melo and Fernando Romboli.

Bhambri and Goransson dominated proceedings from the start, delivering a near-perfect serving performance. In the opening set, they held four of their five service games to love, dropping just a single point in the ninth game. A break in the eighth game against Duckworth and Hewitt was all they needed to clinch the set.

The momentum carried into the second set, where Bhambri and Göransson once again won four of their five service games to love. A decisive break in the seventh game proved enough to wrap up the contest.

Bhambri's best performance at the Australian Open came in 2014, when he reached the third round alongside New Zealand's Michael Venus. His best showing at a Grand Slam came last year, when the pair made a run to the semi-finals at the US Open.

Bhambri will partner with the 2018 Wimbledon champion, Nicole Melichar-Martinez of America, in the mixed doubles event. They will be up against the sixth-seeded Zhang Shuai of China and Germany's Tim Putz in the opening round on Thursday.

Earlier, another Indian, Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha, in the men's doubles draw, exited in the first round. Poonacha and his Thai partner Pruchya Isaro lost 7-6(3), 7-5 to Spain's Pedro Martínez and Jaume Munar on Tuesday.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Great to see Yuki doing well. It's tough being an Indian tennis player with so little systemic support. His perseverance is commendable. Good luck in the next round!
V
Vikram M
Beating Hewitt's son on his home turf must feel sweet! Yuki's US Open semi-final run last year gave us so much hope. Let's go, boys! The draw looks manageable for a QF spot.
R
Rohit P
Solid win, but let's not get carried away. The real test is ahead. The Mexican-Dutch pair or the Brazilians will be much tougher. Need to maintain that serving level. Fingers crossed!
P
Priya S
So happy for Yuki! After all his injury struggles, he's playing some of his best tennis. Also in mixed doubles with a Wimbledon champ! Busy schedule, but hope he goes far in both events. 🤞
N
Nikhil C
A respectful criticism: While we celebrate Yuki, the article also mentions Niki Poonacha's loss. Our doubles depth is still very thin. We need more players breaking through at this level, not just one or two.
M
Michael C
Impressive efficiency. Winning 8 of 10 service games to love is a stunning stat. The Indo-Swedish combo seems to

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50