Yuki Bhambri of India and his American partner Robert Galloway were eliminated early from the Geneva Open on Wednesday after falling to unseeded Germans Mark Wallner and Jakob Schnaitter in the first round.

In a fiercely fought Round of 16 encounter at the ATP 250 clay-court event, which is the last stop before the French Open, the second-seeded Indo-American pair lost 6-7(3), 4-6.

The defeat brings Bhambri’s clay-court season in Europe to yet another sad end. Bhambri and Galloway failed to maintain their momentum in Geneva, even though they shown glimpses of promise last week when they finished second at the Bordeaux Challenger.

The early-round loss cost the couple €3,240 in prize money, but it also cost them ATP ranking points.

Both sides were unable to break serve in the opening set, which turned out to be a close match. In the tiebreak, however, Schnaitter and Wallner maintained their composure and won 7-3 to take the lead. In the second set, the German pair remained composed, serving well and breaking only once to end the match in straight sets.

The Geneva Open gave Bhambri another chance to get into rhythm before the Roland Garros qualifications and other clay-court competitions. But this season, the 31-year-old has had trouble staying consistent on the red dirt. Before Bordeaux, Bhambri had lost in the first round of the Madrid Masters, the Rome Masters, the ATP 500 tournament in Munich, and Monte Carlo (with Alexei Popyrin).

Bhambri will be looking to come back together and put up a better performance as the French Open approaches. The seasoned doubles player will be keen to turn his run in Bordeaux, which showed promise despite recent disappointments, into more reliable performances on the tour.

With a €596,035 total prize fund, the Geneva Open continues to have competitive doubles and singles lineups as players hone their skills for the difficulties that lie ahead in Paris.