Australian Open 2026: Niki Poonacha's Grand Slam debut ends in first round

The 30-year-old Niki Poonacha's Grand Slam debut came to an abrupt halt in the opening round of the 2026 Australian Open on Tuesday.

Competing alongside Thailand's Pruchya Isaro in men's doubles, Poonacha went down (3)6-7, 5-7 in straight sets against Spain's Pedro Martínez and Jaume Munar.

Poonacha and Isaro, who had qualified for the men's doubles main draw after winning the Asia-Pacific wild card play-off tournament in November last year, were always the underdogs heading into the contest.

The Indo-Thai pair did well to save three break points in the ninth game of the first set and then again in the eleventh game to force their Spanish opponents into a tie-break.

Poonacha and Isaro, however, conceded four straight points in the tie-break and never really recovered as they lost it 3-7 to surrender the opening set.

Poonacha and Isaro started strongly in the second set, breaking Martinez and Munar's serve in the very first game.

The Asian duo continued to ride on the advantage until the eighth game, where the Spanish pair broke to draw level.

Poonacha and Isaro's serve was once again broken in the twelfth game as they were knocked out of the competition after a battle which lasted an hour and 52 minutes.

Meanwhile, India's Yuki Bhambri and partner Andre Goransson will open their campaign at the 2026 Australian Open on Wednesday.

Bhambri and Goransson are the tenth seeded pair in men's doubles and will face off against home stars James Duckworth and Cruz Hewitt.