Australian Open: Rohan Bopanna and Zhang advance to quarters

Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and his Chinese partner Shuai Zhang secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open mixed doubles after receiving a walkover in their second-round match.

Their opponents, Hugo Nys and Taylor Townsend were forced to withdraw, clearing the Indo-Chinese pair's path to the next stage.

The development comes on the back of Bopanna and Zhang’s dominant performance in their opening round, where they showcased their skills to secure a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and France’s Kristina Mladenovic. 

Commanding first-round performance

Bopanna, a former World No. 1 in doubles, and Zhang made a strong start to their campaign in Melbourne.

The pair raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, applying early pressure on their experienced opponents.

While Dodig and Mladenovic managed to break Zhang’s serve to close the gap to 3-2, Bopanna held his nerve under pressure, serving out the set at 6-4.

The second set was a tighter contest, with both pairs exchanging breaks early on.

At 3-4 down, the Indo-Chinese duo capitalized on their opponents’ errors, including two crucial double faults, to break serve and level the score.

With Zhang’s steady serve and Bopanna’s sharp forehands, they won the next two games to close out the match in one hour and 12 minutes.

The walkover in the second round has given Bopanna and Zhang a much-needed break as they prepare for tougher challenges ahead.

The duo will look to carry their momentum and teamwork into the quarterfinals as they aim to go deep into the tournament.