Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden won the Miami Open doubles crown, reigning supreme in the second of two prestigious Sunshine tournaments, in Floria on Sunday. Bopanna and Ebden defeated 2nd seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in a thrilling battle that lasted an hour and 42 minutes in Miami. The Indo-Australian duo fought back from behind and won the deciding tie-breaker to win their second title of the year.
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden won the Australian Open crown earlier in the year, scripting history in Melbourne. The 44-year-old Indian became the World No. 1 in men’s doubles as he brought incredible joy to the nation in the New Year. Bopanna and Ebden have now reached 3 finals in 2024 and won 2 of them, raising hopes of more success at the highest level in the long season.
Bopanna and Ebden, who seem to have gained the confidence of closing out high-pressure matches after the Australian Open triumph, went down in the first set tie-breaker, only to make a strong comeback and force a deciding 10-point tie-breaker. Bopanna and Ebden were switched on from the word go in the tie-breaker to take the match and the Miami title 6-7 (3), 6-3, 10-6. Bopanna and Ebden served well, winning 78 percent points on first serve. However, it was their second serve win percentage that brought trouble as they faced 9 break points, albiet saving 7 of them.
Rohan Bopanna broke his own record on Sunday for the oldest man to win a Masters 1000 title. When he won the Indian Wells Masters last year in California along with Ebden, the Indian player, at 43, had become the oldest man to achieve the feat. A year later, Bopanna shone in Miami, proving once again that age is just a number.
Rohan Bopanna is all set to regain the top spot in the ATP doubles rankings after losing it briefly in the lead-up to the Miami Open. Bopanna and Ebden suffered a shock first-round exit in Indian Wells as their title defence came to an early end. But the duo was charged up in Miami and made the most of their hunger to reign supreme.
