Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden pair concedes semi-final defeat at French Open
India's Rohan Bopanna was knocked out in the men's doubles semi-final at French Open on Thursday.
The second-seeded men's doubles duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2024 French Open, conceding a three-set defeat to Italian pair of S Bolelli and A Vavassori. The duo won 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 at the Court Simonne-Mathieu.
Boleli and Vavassori avenged their Australian Open final defeat by overcoming Bopanna and Ebden in their recent encounter. The Italian duo's victory sets them up for a semi-final clash against the winners of the other semi-final, featuring Marcel Granollers & Horacio Zeballos and their yet-to-be-determined opponents.
Bopanna and Ebden struggled in this match despite a valiant effort. They managed to convert their only break point opportunity but conceded two breaks in return in the first set. In the second, they came out aggressively, breaking their opponents’ serve twice and denying Boleli and Vavassori any chance of earning a service break. This impressive display levelled the match and gave hope to their supporters.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the third set. Bopanna and Ebden failed to sustain their performance, unable to secure any break points while conceding two breaks to their Italian rivals. This lapse allowed Boleli and Vavassori to seize control and ultimately win the match.
This defeat added to Bopanna’s challenges at the French Open, where he also exited early in the mixed doubles competition. Teaming up with Veronika Kudermetova, Bopanna faced a tough first-round loss to the pair of Vavassori and Liudmila Samsonova, going down 2-6, 2-6.
With the French Open behind him, Bopanna’s focus now shifts to preparing for Wimbledon, which is less than a month away. Additionally, he will represent India at the Paris Olympics, partnering with N Sriram Balaji. Despite the recent setbacks, Bopanna has had a remarkable year. Alongside his Australian Open triumph, he made history by becoming the oldest player to achieve the World No.1 ranking and was honored with the prestigious Padma Shri award.
