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Rohan Bopanna during the US Open 2023 final© X (formerly called Twitter)
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden lost the US Open 2023 men’s doubles final against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury but a moment of pure sportsmanship by the 43-year-old Indian tennis star have won a lot of hearts. Bopanna and Ebden won the first set 6-2 but ended up losing the second one 3-6. With the third set 4-2 in favour of his opponents, Ebden played a brilliant forehand winner. However, Bopanna approached the umpire right after the point and explained that the ball had touched his forearm on the way. It was a brilliant show of honesty by the veteran and the point was awarded to the opponent. After the match, Rajiv Ram appreciated the gesture by Bopanna during the match.
Rohan Bopanna’s agonising wait to win his maiden men’s doubles Grand Slam title continued as he lost the hard-fought US Open final with partner Matthew Ebden to defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in New York on Friday.
Playing only his second men’s doubles final at a Major tournament, Bopanna and his Australian teammate lost the title clash 6-2 3-6 4-6 after two hours and one minute. Ram and Sailsbury became the first team to win three straight US Open titles.
Bopanna was playing the US Open final for the second time in his career and this time as the oldest player at 43.
He had finished a runner-up with his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi way back in 2010, losing the title clash to the legendary Bryan brothers.
Overall, it was third Grand Slam final for Bopanna, who won his first and only Major in 2017 when he lifted the French Open mixed doubles trophy with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are only two male tennis players from India to have won Grand Slam titles.
(With PTI inputs)
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