French Open: Balaji-Demoliner in maiden quarters after stunning upset

India's N Sriram Balaji and Brazil's Marcelo Demoliner entered the French Open men's doubles quarterfinals with a stunning 7-5, 6-4 upset over sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. This is Balaji's maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.

India's N Sriram Balaji and his Brazilian partner Marcelo Demoliner advanced to the men's doubles quarterfinals at the French Open on Monday, pulling off a stunning straight-sets upset over sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany, according to Olympics.com.

The unseeded Indo-Brazilian pair took one hour and 25 minutes to secure a 7-5, 6-4 upset over the experienced German duo, both Grand Slam champions, in their Round of 16 clash at Roland Garros. The win also marked a landmark moment for 36-year-old Balaji, who reached his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Quarterfinal Clash Ahead

With this victory, Balaji and Demoliner have set up a formidable quarterfinal clash against the second-seeded pairing of Finland's Harri Heliovaara and Great Britain's Henry Patten.

Road to the Quarterfinals

Earlier in the tournament, the duo had defeated the unseeded German-Dutch pairing of Constantin Frantzen and Robin Haase in three sets, followed by a comfortable straight-sets win over Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner in the second round.

Second Round

The Balaji-Demoliner duo defeated Mark Wallner and Jakob Schnaitter 7-5, 6-2 in their second-round match.

The Indo-Brazilian duo broke the German pair in the crucial 11th game of the first set before holding serve to take the opener. In the second set, Balaji and Demoliner secured breaks in the first and seventh games to seal the match in one hour and 27 minutes.

First Round

In their first-round clash, Balaji and Demoliner defeated Germany's Constantin Frantzen and the Netherlands' Robin Haase 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

In the match, Balaji and Demoliner made a strong start, breaking Frantzen and Haase early in the third game to take control of the opening set. The Indo-Brazilian duo then earned a second break in the ninth game, converting their third set point to clinch the set advantage.

Frantzen and Haase fought back in the second set, breaking Balaji and Demoliner in the seventh game before holding their service games to level the match and force a deciding set.

However, they slipped early in the final set, losing serve in the second game, which allowed Balaji and Demoliner to capitalise and close out the match, sealing their place in the second round. (ANI)

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