On the pleasant evening of Tuesday at Olympic Green Tennis Centre, Leander Peas and Mahesh Bhupati got an inspiring start to their fourth Olympic campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon of France.

With a terrific performance, the Indian partners warmed up for the tougher challenges ahead. Bhupati who was ducked below the net, had to let go a flat drive by Monfils.

The first set, which was won on a break of Simon’s serve in the fourth game was one way free flow from 3-3 in the second set. For a quick finish to the contest that lasted for an hour, both Frenchmen broke in succession.

Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa of Brazil who took out the Czech combination of Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek with a 5-7, 6-2, 8-6 win, will be the next ones to challenge the Indian duo.

Taking about Sania Mirza, who has been suffering from a painful wrist from a long time now, will face Sunitha Rao yet gain in the doubles second round. The Indian pair got a walkover from from France’s Tatiana Golovin and Pauline Parmentier, after which Golovin withdrew.