Paes-Damm advance, Bhupathi-Stepanek crash out of Pacific Open

Indian Wells, California, Mar 13 (UNI) Leander Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm put up a solid performance to advance into the doubles second round while the Mahesh Bhupathi-Radek Stepanek pair crashed out of the 3,285,000 million dollar Pacific Life Open here.

The Indo-Czech pair of Paes and Damm made light of Belgian Oliver Rochus and Jim Thomas of the US 6-3, 6-2.

However, Paes' estranged countrymate Bhupathi, partnering another Czech player Stepanek, lost to the French pair of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3.

Paes and Damm put up a terrific display and unsettled their lower ranked opponents, who had no chance to mount a serious challenge right from the beginning in the Tier I tournament.

The fifth seeded Indo-Czech pair will next meet unseeded Polish pair Maroin Matkowski and Mariusz Fyrstenberg.

The Polish pair set up a clash with Paes-Damm after defeating Argentine duo of David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas.

UNI