Australian Open: Balaji & Oberleitner Prevail in Match Tiebreak to Stun Former Top-3 Duo
N. Sriram Balaji and Neil Oberleitner had no margin for error. They got none, and still found a way through. The Indo-Austrian pair outlasted Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jordan Thompson 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-6(8) in a first-round Australian Open doubles clash that came down to the finest of margins. Two tiebreaks decided the outcome, and in both, Balaji and Oberleitner delivered when the pressure was at its peak.
Herbert, a former world No. 2 in doubles, and Thompson, a former world No. 3, brought pedigree and experience. They also brought the home crowd, with Thompson feeding off the Melbourne support. But Balaji/Oberleitner rose to the challenge.
The first set went to a tiebreak, and the Indo-Austrian duo edged it 7-4. Herbert and Thompson responded in the second, taking it 6-3 to level the match. The 3rd set saw intense action, with both pairs holding their serves, which set up a match tiebreak, and neither team blinked. Balaji and Oberleitner came in clutch when it mattered, sealing the tiebreak 10-8.
For Balaji, this marks his fourth consecutive appearance in the second round at the Australian Open—a streak that underscores his consistency at this level. For Oberleitner, it’s a maiden breakthrough, his first time reaching the second round of a Grand Slam doubles event.
The reward? A second-round clash against fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, one of the most accomplished doubles teams on tour. If Balaji and Oberleitner can handle a match tiebreak against former top-3 players, they’ll go in with the belief that they can handle anything.
