INDIA's Rohan Bopanna and Australia's Matthew Ebden advanced to the second round of the US Open men's doubles competition with a win over the Netherlands' Sander Arends and Robin Haase.
The duo won 6-3, 7-5 in a 64-minute first-round match on Thursday night.
The Indo-Australian pair, who were runners-up in the previous edition, entered the final Grand Slam of the season after three consecutive losses.
Despite a shaky start, they regained their rhythm and secured the win.
Bopanna and Ebden initially lost their serve in the third game but quickly recovered, breaking their opponents' serve twice to take control of the first set.
In the second set, they once again found themselves trailing but managed to level the score at 5-5 before breaking serve to close out the match.
As the second seeds and current Australian Open champions, Bopanna and Ebden will now face the unseeded pair of Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena and Argentina's Federico Coria in the second round on Friday.
(With inputs from PTI)
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)