Wimbledon Upset: Bhambri and Galloway's Tiebreak Defeat Ends Indian Hopes

Wimbledon 2025: Bhambri and Galloway Fall Short in Tiebreak Thriller

LONDON: Despite a valiant effort, the Indo-American duo of Yuki Bhambri and Robert Galloway suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the third round of the Wimbledon men's doubles. Facing the formidable fourth seeds, Spain's Marcel Granollers and Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, Bhambri and Galloway lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4-10) in a gripping match lasting two hours and 12 minutes on Monday.

Galloway, who was playing with a strapped finger due to a recent fracture, showed resilience throughout the match.

The match saw dramatic swings in momentum. Bhambri and Galloway, after trailing 2-5 in the final set, mounted a comeback. However, they were ultimately outplayed in the decisive match tie-break, despite initially taking a commanding 7-0 lead. While the Indo-American pair struggled to gain traction in the opening set, they managed a crucial break in the sixth game of the second set, propelling them to a 4-2 advantage.

The third set saw Galloway's serve broken in the fourth game, putting the 16th seeds on the back foot at 1-3 and later 2-5. Showing their fighting spirit, Bhambri and Galloway then clawed their way back, winning the subsequent three games to level the score.

With Bhambri's exit, the Indian challenge at SW19 has come to an end. Looking ahead, Bhambri, 33, will be partnering with Kiwi Michael Venus. He revealed that this partnership is a long-term plan, initiated when he teamed up with Galloway in mid-April.

They commenced their partnership in Munich in mid-April and have competed in 10 tournaments together. Following first-round exits in their initial three tournaments, they participated in a Challenger event, reaching the final of the ATP 250 Series event in Mallorca prior to Wimbledon.

"Mike was available, he is one of my closest friends on Tour," Bhambri explained. "At some point eventually we were always going to play together and this was an opportunity that we finally had. It just made sense.”

Bhambri has known the 37-year-old Venus since his teenage years. "When he (Venus) started playing doubles, I was sort of the initial partner," Bhambri said. "We obviously had our first Grand Slam together, which has still been our best result to date in Australia, making the third round."