Paes ends Bhambhri's run in men's doubles at Australian Open

Melbourne, Jan 19 (IANS) India’s Leander Paes ended young compatriot Yuki Bhambri’s dream run in the men’s doubles at Australian Open here Sunday. Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek beat the unseeded team of Bhambri and Michael Venus in straight sets to march into the quarter-finals.

The fifth seeds cantered to a 6-3, 6-2 win in just over an hour at the Margaret Court Arena.

The Indo-Czech pairing put in a clinical performance to end the unseeded pair’s impressive run in the first Grand Slam of the year.

Bhambri-Venus stunned 10th seeds Jean-Julien Rojer of Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania in the second run but were outclassed in the third by the 2012 Australian and 2013 US Open winners.

Paes-Stepanek will take on 13th seeds Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut. The French team shocked No.2 seeds Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil in the third round.