CWG Tennis: Bopanna advances in singles, out of mixed doubles

NEW DELHI - India’s Rohan Bopanna and Nirupama Sanjeev gave a fright to top seeds Paul Hanley and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia before losing 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, in the first round of the mixed doubles in the Commonwealth Games tennis here Monday.

Bopanna, however, sailed into the pre-quarter finals of the men’s singles with an emphatic victory over Uganda’s Robert Buyinza 6-1, 6-4. In women’s singles, Rushmi Chakravarthi dropped only one game in beating Pinki Agnes Montlha of Lesotho 6-0, 6-1.

In an hour’s time Bopanna was back in the court guiding Nirupama, who showed nerves at the start. But after committing a stream of errors and being nearly outclassed in the first set, the Indian pair shifted gear in the second with Bopanna taking the charge at net and producing some inspired stuff.

They, however, failed to carry the momentum in the decider, allowing the Australians to scrape through after a nearly two-hour-struggle.

Hanley and Rodionova covered the courts well and came up with some stunning returns but struggled with their first serves, sharing seven double-faults.

“I would have loved to make it two in a row,” smiled Bopanna.

Thirty-three years old Nirupama, who is a mother of a four-year-old daughter, made a comeback last year after being in retirement for nearly seven years and the rustiness reflected in her game. Her movements were sluggish and she was often left stranded while the balls whizzed past her. She, however, mixed her serve well, though it lacked the sting and pace for slow courts.

“I did struggle with my serve initially. But it was more because of nerves and not because I was not feeling the ball.”

However, Nirupama is still in the contention in the women’s doubles where she plays with young Poojashree Venkatesha.

Despite the scorching heat resulting in one of the spectators fainting in the stands, there was a sizeable crowd at the showcourt at the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium for the mixed doubles match. The crowd livened up the atmosphere with their “C’mon India”, “C’mon Bopanna and Niru” chants and with frequent applauses whenever the Indians lagged behind.

After losing the first set, the Indian pair rallied back in the second and cruised to a 5-0 lead and it was soon a set all with Nirupama’s drop of serve being the only blemish.

The Australians began the decider on a strong note, breaking Bopanna in the second game. Though the Indians managed to pull one off breaking Rodionova’s serve in the seventh game, Nirupama dropped her serve immediately to shift the fortunes in Australia’s favour. Hanley then served out the set and the match.