India’s hopes in the men’s doubles event at the US Open came to an end as the second-seeded pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden bowed out in the third round. The Argentine duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, seeded 16th, proved too strong for Bopanna and Ebden, winning in straight sets 6-1, 7-5 in a match that lasted just 66 minutes.
Bopanna and Ebden had enjoyed a successful season, having won the Australian Open earlier this year. However, their US Open campaign was cut short by the Argentine pair, who played with greater consistency and aggression throughout the match.
Bopanna’s defeat marks the end of India’s challenge in the men’s doubles event at the US Open. Sumit Nagal had earlier exited in the first round of the men’s singles, while Yuki Bhambri and N Sriram Balaji had also lost in the men’s doubles at different stages of the tournament.
Despite the setback in the men’s doubles, Bopanna’s challenge at the US Open is not over. He is still alive in the mixed doubles event, where he has partnered with Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi. Interestingly, Bopanna and Ebden will now face off against each other in the mixed doubles, as Ebden has teamed up with Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova.
Bopanna’s retirement from Davis Cup has already been announced, and it remains to be seen whether he will return to defend his Australian Open crown in January 2025. However, his performance at the US Open has shown that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the doubles circuit.
