Australian Open: Defending Men's Doubles Champion Bopanna Faces Surprising First Round Exit
Click to start listening
Synopsis
Former World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna and his Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos were eliminated in the opening round of men's doubles at the Australian Open, losing to the Spanish pair Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar. Bopanna's previous success in 2024 with Matthew Ebden highlights the unexpected nature of this exit.
Key Takeaways
- Rohan Bopanna and Nicolas Barrientos eliminated in first round.
- Lost to Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar.
- Bopanna made history as the oldest Grand Slam champion at 43.
- Bopanna previously partnered with Matthew Ebden.
- Indian players continue in doubles events.
Melbourne, Jan 14 (NationPress) Former World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos faced an unexpected exit in the first round of men's doubles at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The Indo-Colombian duo fell short with a score of 5-7, 6-7 (5) against the Spanish pair Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in a match lasting one hour and 54 minutes.
Bopanna had triumphed in the season's first Grand Slam with Australia’s Matthew Ebden in 2024, making history by being the oldest man in the Open Era to secure a Grand Slam title at the age of 43.
However, the collaboration between Bopanna and Ebden concluded following the Turin ATP Finals in November last year, leading the Indian star to team up with Colombia’s Barrientos this year.
Over their successful two-year partnership, Bopanna and Ebden clinched the Australian Open title last year, in addition to winning ATP Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells in 2023 and the Miami Open in 2024. The Indo-Australian duo also made it to the semi-finals of the French Open in 2024 and reached the No. 1 spot in doubles rankings.
In related news, Sumit Nagal, the sole Indian singles player in Melbourne, also faced defeat after losing to Czechia’s Tomas Machac in the first round of the men’s singles event at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Nagal, ranked 91st in ATP singles, succumbed to his world No. 25 opponent with scores of 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 over two hours and five minutes.
Despite Bopanna's loss, Indian interest in the doubles event remains strong, with other players including Yuki Bhambri partnering with France’s Albano Olivetti, N Sriram Balaji alongside Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, and Rithvik Bollipalli teaming up with the USA’s Ryan Seggerman, all set to commence their doubles campaigns on Wednesday.
