Yuki Bhambri into Wimbledon R16 as Bollipalli, Balaji exit in men's doubles

Yuki Bhambri kept Indian hopes alive at Wimbledon 2025 by marching into the Round of 16 of the men’s doubles on Saturday.

Partnering with American Robert Galloway, Bhambri put in a composed performance as the duo defeated Portugal’s Nuno Borges and USA’s Marcos Giron 6-3, 7-6(8) in straight sets. With confident net play and solid serving, Bhambri-Galloway held their nerve in a tense second-set tiebreak to seal their spot in the third round.

Meanwhile,  both Rithvik Bollipalli and N Sriram Balaji bowed out in the second round of the men’s doubles event, despite spirited efforts.

On Court 6, Bollipalli and Colombia’s Nicolás Barrientos pushed British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski to the limit before losing 4-6, 6-7 (7-9) in a tight two-set encounter.

The Indo-Colombian duo fought hard in the second-set tiebreak, even holding set points, but the experienced British team, both former Grand Slam champions, held their nerve in the crucial moments to close it out in straight sets.

Meanwhile, on Court 14, Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela went down 4-6, 4-6 to the fourth seeds - Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos and Spain’s Marcel Granollers. The Indo-Mexican pair had entered the match high on confidence after a clinical first-round win but struggled to make inroads against the seasoned Grand Slam finalists. Zeballos and Granollers broke once in each set to secure their place in the third round.

Balaji’s defeat marked the end of his men’s doubles campaign, while Bollipalli, who had made the second round alongside Yuki Bhambri earlier in the week, will now look ahead to future tour events.

For Indian tennis fans, it was a promising but ultimately short-lived run in men’s doubles at SW19, though the signs of rising depth in the doubles field continue to offer encouragement.