January 15, 2025: Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open men's doubles event after losing in straight sets to the Australian wild card pair of Tristan Schoolkate and Adam Walton. The match ended 6-2, 7(7)-6(3) in favor of the Australians at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.
Bhambri, 32, and Olivetti, 33, struggled from the outset. They were broken in the fourth game of the first set, allowing Schoolkate and Walton to take a 3-1 lead. Despite a chance to break back, the Indo-French duo couldn't capitalize, and the Australians further extended their lead to 4-1 before breaking Bhambri again to win the set 6-2.
In the second set, Bhambri and Olivetti missed key opportunities. They failed to convert two break points in the opening game, and the match stayed on serve until a tie-breaker. The Australians dominated the tiebreak, sealing the victory 7-3.
With Bhambri and Olivetti out, India's hopes in the men's doubles now rest on N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli, who will be playing in their first-round matches on Thursday. Balaji has teamed up with Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela of Mexico, while Bollipalli is partnering with Ryan Seggerman of the USA.
Meanwhile, in mixed doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Shuai Zhang will be competing together, while Sumit Nagal was also eliminated in the first round of men's singles by Czechia's Tomas Machac.
