Sriram Balaji with historic maiden French open Victory, Bhambri crashes out from the first round

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In a historic moment for Indian tennis, N. Sriram Balaji clinched his first-ever victory at the French Open, thereby strengthening his bid for the Paris Olympics. Balaji, who is most likely to be Rohan Bopanna’s choice for the Paris Games, combined well with Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela Martinez for a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Reese Stalder and Dutch player Sem Verbeek.

Sriram Balaji’s prospects for Paris Olympocs

Balaji’s victory at the French Open is a significant milestone in his career, marking his maiden win at this prestigious tournament. This achievement has not only boosted his chances for the Indian men’s doubles team at the Paris Olympics but also underscored his consistent growth as a doubles player.

The match saw Balaji and his partner, Reyes-Varela Martinez, demonstrating excellent teamwork and strategy, leading them to a straight-set victory over their opponents. Their performance was marked by effective serves, strong returns, and a solid game plan that kept their opponents on the back foot.

Yuki Bhambri’s Early Exit

On the other hand, Yuki Bhambri, another contender for the Olympic berth, faced a first-round exit. Despite his early exit, Bhambri showcased his adaptability and demonstrated formidable baseline skills and a dependable serve.

Bhambri, in partnership with Albano Olivetti, fell short against the Australian-Russian duo of John Peers and Roman Safiullin, succumbing 3-6, 6-7 (5) in the tournament’s opening round. Despite the defeat, Bhambri’s performance was commendable, and he displayed an all-round game, hitting ability from the baseline, and a decent serve.

As the French Open progresses, the focus now shifts to India’s premier players, Bopanna and Sumit Nagal, who are scheduled to compete against each other in the opening round of the men’s doubles. This match-up promises to be an exciting contest and will be closely watched by tennis fans across the country and the world.

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