The Indian challenge in Wimbledon mixed doubles event ended with crushing second-round defeats for the pairings of Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza and Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs on Saturday.
For Bhupathi, the defeat also rounded off a disappointing Wimbledon campaign. Seeded 11th Bhupathi, who has already crashed out of men's doubles in the first round, and Sania were sent packing by the unseeded Russian team of Igor Andreev and Maria Kirilenko 6-7 (4), 6-3.
Sania, however, advanced in women's doubles, entering the third round with her American partner Bethanie Mattek after a 6-3, 6-4 win over the Russian-Italian pair of Maria Kirilenko and Flavia Pennetta.
Meanwhile, 10th seeds Paes and Stubbs also bowed out losing 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 to Swede Jonas Bjorkman and his Australian partner Alicia Molik.
In another mixed doubles disappointment, Rohan Bopanna and his partner Tatiana Poutchek went down 3-6, 6-7 (1) to 13th seeded Swede-American pair of Simon Aspelin and Lisa Raymond in the second round.
The juniors also started their campaign on a poor note with fifth seed Yuki Bhambri losing 6-7 (2), 4-6 to unseeded American Ty D Trombetta.
© 2024 Rediff.com -