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The wild card team of India’s Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus of New Zealand created a big upset at the Australian Open, shocking tenth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, in Melbourne, on Friday.
They needed just 64 minutes to get the better of the experienced Dutch-Romanian pair 6-4, 6-4 in a second round match.
Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek also ended up on the winning side, beating the Czech pair of Lukas Dlouhy and Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-1 in their first round match, which was put off to Friday because of Thursday’s intense heat in Melbourne.
Yuki-Venus, playing their first Major, did not face a single break-point in the contest. A break in each set sufficed to emerge triumphant.
The 21-year-old Yuki-Venus needed 71 minutes to get the better of Spaniards Roberto Bautista Agut and Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-2, 7-5 in their opening match.
There is the possibility of Yuki meeting Paes in the pre-quarter-finals.
The fifth seeded Paes-Stepanek won in 76 minutes after saving seven break-points.
They will meet Daniele Bracciali from Italy and Alexandr Dolgopolov from the Ukraine.
Image: Yuki Bhambri hugs Michael Venus after victory is clinched
Photograph: Renee McKay/Getty Images