London, June 28 (IANS) India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek moved into the second round of the men’s doubles while Mahesh Bhupathi and his Solvak partner Daniela Hantuchova were knocked out of the mixed doubles first round at the Wimbledon here Friday.
Paes and Stepanek, seeded fourth, had to earn a tough win after their rain interrupted match spilled to the second day here Friday.
The Indo-Czech pair won 7-6 (6) 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4 in a hard fought battle that lasted three hours and five minutes. Paes and Stepanek had won the first set Thursday before skies opened up.
They next face home boy Jamie Delgado and Australian Matthew Ebden.
For Bhupathi, playing his last year on the circuit, it was a bad day in office after he was knocked out of the mixed doubles with Daneila.
The Indo-Slovakian pair lost 7-6 (2) 4-6 4-6 to Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Sabine Lisicki of Germany.
Bhupathi’s challenge is still alive in the men’s doubles and he has already advanced to the second round with Autrian partner Julian Knowle. They next face Amercian Nicholas Monroe and Simon Stadler of Germany.A
