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Bhambri and Swedish partner Goransson beat Santiago Gonzalez- David Pel 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, after Balaji and Austrian partner Oberleitner were ousted by Marcelo Arevalo- Mate Pavic.
Yuki Bhambri- Andre Goransson. (x)
The duo of Yuki Bhambri and Andre Goransson advanced to the third round of the men’s doubles at the Australian Open on Saturday, while the pair of N. Sriram Balaji and Neil Oberleitner bowed out of the season’s first Grand Slam.
Bhambri and his 10th-seeded Swedish partner, Goransson, triumphed over the unseeded duo of Santiago Gonzalez and David Pel with a score of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in a second-round match that was paused due to the tournament’s extreme heat policy.
The match, which lasted a total of two hours and six minutes, was initially suspended on Thursday with Bhambri and Goransson trailing 4-6, 2-2 before resuming later in accordance with Australian Open regulations.
Upon resumption, the Indo-Swedish pair displayed remarkable composure, elevating their game in a tense second-set tie-breaker, and then taking control in the final set to secure their place in the last 16.
Balaji, partnering with Austria’s Oberleitner, exited the tournament after a straight-sets loss to fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic. The alternate pair was defeated 5-7, 1-6 in their second-round encounter.
Bhambri’s advancement keeps Indian interest alive in the men’s doubles draw as the tournament progresses into its crucial stages.
Earlier in the day, Novak Djokovic got the better of Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the Australian Open encounter between the two on Saturday as the 38-year-old shattered yet another record en route to the Round of 16 of the year’s first Grand Slam event.
The Serbian legend became the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches with his 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory to extend his own record of most match wins at the Majors.
Roger Federer, who has managed 369 wins at Grand Slam events and Serena Williams, who has registered 365 triumphs at Majors, are the closest on the list dominated by the Serbian.
January 24, 2026, 7:47 PM IST
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