Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji begin Olympic preparation with loss

NEW DELHI: Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji, who are preparing to represent India at the upcoming Paris Olympics, commenced their partnership on a challenging note. The duo faced defeat in the first round of the Hamburg Open on Thursday.
This tournament marked the first time Bopanna and Balaji have competed together on the ATP Tour.
The sixth-seeded Indian team suffered a 1-6, 4-6 defeat to unseeded German team of Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner in the ATP 500 tournament.
The Indian duo, known for their reliable serving, struggled to capitalize on their first serves throughout the match. Despite their reputation, they found themselves unable to secure points consistently.
Bopanna and Balaji faced challenges in maintaining their service games, conceding three breaks. Furthermore, they squandered all three breakpoint opportunities that came their way, failing to convert any of them.
With the Olympics on the horizon, the Indian pair has one final tournament together before the grand event. They are set to participate in the Croatia Open, an ATP 250 tournament, which will take place in Umaag.
Sumit Nagal, India's top-ranked singles player, suffered a defeat in the pre-quarterfinal match at the Nordea Open in Bastad. He lost 4-6, 2-6 to Mariano Navone, the fourth-seeded player from Argentina.
A victory in this round could have potentially set up a thrilling encounter with the iconic Spanish player Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. However, Navone, ranked 36th in the world, proved to be a formidable opponent for Nagal, who recently climbed five spots in the ATP rankings to achieve a career-high ranking of 68.
Nagal, known for his prowess on clay courts, has secured his spot in the singles event at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Nordea Open served as his final tournament before the prestigious quadrennial event, set to commence in Paris on July 26.