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File photo of Sania Mirza (left) and Rohan Bopanna.© X (formerly Twitter)
Former India tennis ace Sania Mirza was all praise for her ex-teammate Rohan Bopanna after the star player won the Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles title. Bopanna on Saturday re-wrote the history books by becoming the oldest-ever man to win a Grand Slam title. He also became the oldest number one in men’s doubles history with his win in Melbourne. The 43-year-old had paired with Matthew Ebden. The second seeds claimed a 7-6 (7/0), 7-5 victory over unseeded Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori on Rod Laver Arena.
Touched by the feats, Sania said that she is more proud of Bopanna as a friend.
“We said this at the beginning of last week, that what if he becomes the men’s No.1 in the world and wins the men’s doubles title?. He has done it and we were speechless. We could not be more proud, as an Indian, but more as a friend,” Sania told Sony Sports Network as quoted by India Today.
It is the first time Bopanna has won a major title, having lost in finals at the US Open in 2010 and 2023.
In the summit clash, Bopanna and Ebden dominated on serve throughout the one-hour, 40-minute match, winning 80 per cent (40/50) of games with their first delivery and not facing a break point to top off a fantastic week.
The 43-year-old is the third Indian man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title, following Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. On Monday, he will become the oldest top-ranked player in the ATP Doubles Rankings.
This was Bopanna’s second Grand Slam triumph, his first in men’s doubles. His previous Grand Slam victory came in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada at the 2017 French Open.
(With ANI Inputs)
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