Australian Open 2024: Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden win doubles title, defeat Simone Bolelli, Andrea Vavassori in final

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden created history on Saturday when they defeated the team of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori to be crowned the new Australian Open doubles champions.

The Indian and Australian pair won the match 7-6(0), 7-5 as the Italian duo were blown away in straight sets in a match that last over 1 hr and 39 minutes.

Before Saturday’s triumph, Bopanna had never won a men’s doubles title at a Grand Slam tournament despite reaching the final twice before with both occasions being at the US Open, in 2013 and then in 2023. He does have a Grand Slam title: thanks to his mixed doubles win in 2017 at the French Open.

Bopanna also becomes third Indian to win men’s doubles Grand Slam title.

Doubles delight 🏆🏆@rohanbopanna 🇮🇳 and @mattebden 🇦🇺 defeat Italian duo Bolelli/Vavassori 🇮🇹 7-6(0) 7-5. @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/WaR2KXF9kp

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2024

To reach the final, Bopanna and his Australian partner Ebden had defeated Zhang Zhizhen of China and Tomas Machac of Czech Republic 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-7) in just over two hours on Thursday.

At 43, Bopanna also became the oldest Grand Slam champion in men’s tennis. He bettered the record of Jean-Julien Rojer who, at age of 40, had lifted the French Open men’s doubles trophy in 2022 with Marcelo Arevola.

It was such hard-fought battle at the Rod Laver arena that the contest featured only one break of serve when Vavassori dropped his serve at love in game 11 of the second set. There were not many break points on offer either.

That Grand Slam feeling 🏆#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Azz5KoUdML

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2024

The second seeds had breakpoints in successive games in the beginning of the contest. However, the Italians saved both to stay on even terms.

In game two, off Bolelli’s serve, Vavassori hit a volley at 30-30 but Bopanna hit a return long.
In game four, the Italians were again down a break point when at 30-30, a return from Bopanna jumped off the net chord to give the second seeds a free point. However, Vavassori served well to save that point as well.

Serving 4-5, and 30-all, Bolelli was under pressure again but pulled off a powerful cross court forehand which was away from Bopanna’s reach and then served huge to make it 5-all.

Look what it means to @rohanbopanna and @mattebden 😍

At 43, Bopanna has his FIRST Men's Doubles Grand Slam title – and becomes the oldest to do so in the Open Era 👏👏#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qs0JlrkMO7

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2024

Ebden’s serve came under pressure in game 11 in which he faced a breakpoint, but, after playing deuce points, the Australian closed the game with an ace.

In the tie-breaker, Bolelli’s serve was broken twice as the second seeds zoomed to a 5-0 lead without losing a point on their serve.

Vavassori too lost his serve to hand their rivals six set points. They converted the first, Ebden finding a forehand winner down the line.

(With agency inputs)

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