Bopanna-Mergea enter third Wimbledon round

The <g data-gr-id="29">ninth seeded</g> pair outclassed their second round opponents in two hours and 11 minutes.

The match got off to a cracking start with both the pairs hitting several aces. Despite Bopanna-<g data-gr-id="37">Mergea</g> serving four double faults compared to three by Bellucci-Duran, the Indian-Romanian pair gained a crucial break point and later served perfectly to take the opening set 7-5.

Bellucci-Duran came back strongly in the second set breaking their opponents once, but the ninth seeds were good enough to force the set to the tie-break.

Bopanna-<g data-gr-id="30">Mergea</g> played brilliantly to win the tie-break 7-5 and go two sets up.

The third set saw an even better performance from Bopanna-<g data-gr-id="36">Mergea</g> where they served six aces. But Bellucci-Duran came back strongly in the third set serving three aces to go hand in hand with their opponent. The set finally went into tie-break.

Bopanna-<g data-gr-id="33">Mergea</g> held on comfortably to serve brilliantly to take crucial points to win the tie-break 7-5 and thus seal the match and book a place in the third round.

The Indian-Romanian tennis pair will next face the winner of the match between Lukasz Kubot-Max Mirnyi and Marcel Granollers-Marc Lopez. 

Bopanna will open his mixed doubles campaign later in the day with Spanish partner Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. They are up against American Eric Butorac and his Hungarian partner Katalin Marosi.

Mahesh <g data-gr-id="35">Bhuapthi</g> will also play his mixed doubles first round on <g data-gr-id="34">Friday .</g> Partnering Russia’s Alla Kudryavtseva, he will take on the American pair of Nicholas Monroe and Madison Brengle.

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis are scheduled to play their women’s doubles second round against Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm and Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.