Rohan Bopanna confirmed at No. 1 in historical world, makes Aus Open 2024 doubles S/V
India's Rohan Bopanna created history on Wednesday, January 24, becoming the oldest player to become world No. 1 in men's doubles tennis history.
Melbourne: India woke up on Wednesday to the good news that Rohan Bopanna has reached the men's doubles semi-final of the 2024 Australian Open. At the age of 43, he made history by becoming the oldest doubles No. 1 to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open. He would now, along with his Australian partner Mathew Ebden, compete for a place in the top match. The Indo-Aus pair defeated sixth-seeded Argentine pair Gonzalez and Molteni in straight sets 6-4, 7-6.
This happens to be Bopanna's first time in the Australian Open doubles semi-final in 17 attempts.
Earlier, Bopanna and Ebden sealed a place in the Australian Open men's doubles quarter-finals with a win over Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in a tight two-set clash 7-6 (8), 7-6 (4) at Melbourne Park .
BOPANNA BECOMES number 1 in the world for the first time at the age of 43@rohanbopanna will reach the top of the rankings when he enters the SF of the Australian Open pic.twitter.com/4ne80n0qZ7
— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) January 24, 2024
Koolhof-Mektic took the early initiative and claimed the lead, breaking the 43-year-old Bopanna's serve in the second game of the opening set. To compensate for the lead, the Indo-Australian duo counter-attacked in the seventh game and broke Mektic.
Bopanna-Ebden's expertise helped them win 10-8 in the tiebreak after eventually taking the set.
The second group also followed a similar pattern. In the sixth game, Koolhof-Mektic secured the first break point by breaking Bopanna again. The score was tied at 6-6 when Bopanna and Ebden Mektic broke in the eighth inning.
In one hour and forty-three minutes, Bopanna-Ebden emerged victorious in a tiebreak set and secured their place in the quarter-finals.
(With ANI inputs)