India’s veteran tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi saw his this year’s Austraalian Open journey come to an end when he and Jarmila Gajdosova went down 6-4, 6-7 (7), 8-10 to Chinese Taipei’s Hao-Ching Chan and Briton Jamie Murray in the mixed doubles first round of this season’s first Grand Slam on Saturday.

The Indo-Australian pair took an early lead, winning the first set 6-4 but failed to capitalise on the advantage losing the next two to surrender the match in 90 minutes on court seven at the Melbourne Park.

Bhupathi’s doubles campaign ended on Thursday when he and his partner Austrian Jurgen Melzer lost in the first round.

In the junior section, Pranjala Yadlapalli beat South Africa’s Katie Poluta 6-4, 6-3 to qualify for the girls’ singles competition. Vut Ojasvinee Singh lost 6-0, 4-6, 1-6 to America’s Olivia Hauger.

In the boy’s category, Sumit Nagal defeated American Michael Mmoh 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

TH