China's Zhang Shuai hits a forehand return to Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Jan 17, 2019. (KIN CHEUNG / AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia - Chinese pairs have had mixed fortune in the first round of the women's doubles at the Australian Open on Thursday, while rain forced the cancellation of several matches.

Zhu Lin and Han Xinyuan moved through to round 2 after Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok and India's Sania Mirza retired due to injury

Zhu Lin and Han Xinyuan moved through to round 2 after Ukrainian Nadiia Kichenok and India's Sania Mirza retired due to injury.

The Chinese duo looked on track to claim the match regardless, before a problem with Mirza's leg forced her side to retire with the score at 6-2, 1-0.

One of the few Indian players at the tournament, Mirza won the recent doubles title at the Hobart International but has since had trouble with her leg, forced to also pull out of the mixed doubles event on Wednesday.

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Meanwhile, promising Chinese partnership, Zhang Shuai and Peng Shuai came unstuck against the United States' Allison Riske and Veronika Kudermetova, 6-3, 6-3.

Zhang may have been hoping for more, having won last year's Australian Open women's doubles title alongside Australia's Samantha Stosur, however, this year's partnership with Peng proved less effective.

Riske has proved to be a thorn in the side of Chinese players this tournament, defeating both Wang Yafan and Zhu Lin in the earlier singles competition.

Zhang however remains in the singles standings and will face World No. 14 Sofia Kenin from the U.S. in round 3 on Friday.

Meanwhile, a matchup between ninth seeded doubles duo, Zheng Saisai and Duan Yingying against Luisa Stefani and Hayley Carter was postponed due to bad weather.