New Delhi: Leander Paes and Australian Paul Hanley have cruised into the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Monaco. Unseeded Paes and Hanley defeated Argentine pair David Nalbandian and Sebastian Prieto 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round on Monday night.
The Indo-Australian duo will next face second seeded Israeli pair Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram. Paes and Hanley had a 1-0 record against the Israeli combination. They defeated the Israeli pair three years ago in the Bangkok Open final.
The other Indian, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Mark Knowles of Bahamas, seeded fourth, will start their quest for a third Association of Tennis Professionals doubles title this season from the second round. They got a bye in the opening round. They will play the winners of the match between Brazilians Marcelo Melo and Andre and the French-Serbian pair Richard Gasquet and Janko Tipsarevic.
