Tennis
Australian Open 2023: Sania Mirza/Rohan Bopanna enter quarter-finals
The Indian duo defeated Makoto Ninomiya/Ariel Behar.
Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza
Indian duo Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna comfortably sailed through to the Mixed Doubles quarter-finals at the ongoing Australian Open 2023. In what is Mirza's final tournament before closing the curtains on her illustrious career, the player seems to be on the path of a grand exit.
After defeating Australians Jaimee Fourlis and Luke Saville in the first round in straight sets (7-5, 6-3), Mirza/Bopanna beat the pair of Japanese Makoto Ninomiya and Uruguayan Ariel Behar in round two with the score of 6-4, 7-6 (11-9).
Bopanna was on-point with his speedy serves as Mirza sealed the game with a thumping overhead smash.
In the Women's Doubles, Mirza partnered with Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan, but the duo could only go as far as the second round. After beating Dalma Galfi/Bernarda Pera in the first round, Alison Van Uytvanck/Anhelina Kalinina took them to a decider and ousted them from the Open.
The Indians will now face David Vega Hernandez/Jelena Ostapenko in the Mixed Doubles quarter-finals on 24th January, Tuesday.
Mirza has two Australian Open titles to her name, which includes a Mixed Doubles championship which she won with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi back in 2009.
