Rohan Bopanna and his new doubles partner, Nicolas Barrientos, were eliminated from the Australian Open 2025 on Tuesday. They lost in the first round to the Spanish duo of Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar. The match ended with a score of 5-7, 6-7 (5) after almost two hours of play.

Strong Start but Missed Opportunities

Bopanna and Barrientos began the match well. They held their serves comfortably in the early games, showcasing their potential. However, as the match progressed, the Spanish pair gradually gained control. Martinez and Munar found their rhythm with consistent baseline play and clever tactics at the net.

Key Moments in the Match

The turning point came late in the first set. Martinez and Munar broke serve to take the lead, winning the opener 7-5. In the second set, both pairs pushed each other to the limit. Martinez and Munar led 5-3 and were serving for the match. However, Bopanna and Barrientos mounted a strong comeback, breaking serve to level the score at 5-5.

Tie-Break Decides the Match

The set went into a tie-break, and the Spaniards remained calm under pressure. They edged past the 14th-seeded Indo-Colombian pair, winning the tie-break 7-5 and securing the match.

Bopanna's Historic Achievement

Earlier, Bopanna had made history by winning the Australian Open 2024 with Matthew Ebden. At 43, he became the oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title. However, his partnership with Ebden ended after the ATP Finals in November, leading to his new partnership with Barrientos.

Nagal’s Early Exit

In another setback for India, Sumit Nagal, the country's top-ranked singles player, was also knocked out in the first round. He lost to Czech Republic's Tomas Machac, ranked No. 25 in the world, in straight sets.