Veteran Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his partner Ivan Dodig from Croatia made a shock first-round exit from the China Open after losing to Francisco Cerundolo and Nicolas Jarry 5-7 6-7 in the men’s doubles match here on Saturday.
The unseeded pair of Cerundolo (Argentina) and Jarry (Chile) got the better of second-seeded Bopanna-Dodig in the round 16 match that lasted one hour 31 minutes.
It is to be noted that Bopanna was not playing with his regular partner Matthew Ebden, with whom he won the Australian Open this year, as the Australian had opted out of the tournament.
Thus, the Indian veteran paired with Dodig, with whom he had played in 2017 and 2021 and reached the final of the ATP Montreal Masters 1000 event in 2017.
Earlier this year, Bopanna clinched his first Grand Slam of his career after winning the men’s doubles final in the Australian Open with Ebden. He became the oldest man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title. The 44-year-old also won the Miami Open to add another title to his highly illustrious career.
Bopanna-Ebden lost in the round of 16 match in the US Open doubles earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Chinese tennis players Yuan Yue and Wei Sijia were both eliminated in straight sets in the women’s singles second round at the China Open on Saturday. The 30th-seeded Yuan was defeated by Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1. US Open semifinalist Muchova, 28, dominated the match and clinched the victory in one hour and 20 minutes, reports Xinhua.
Wildcard player Wei lost to 13th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 7-5, 6-4. The 20-year-old Wei claimed the first win in her career at the tournament after beating Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the first round. Wei showed good form at the beginning of Saturday’s game and once took the lead, but the Brazilian overturned the momentum gradually to take the upper hand.
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, seeded fifth, will make her appearance at the 2024 China Open on Saturday night, confronting Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia in the second round after she got a first-round bye.
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