The Rohan Bopanna juggernaut continues to roll on. The man "at level 43, not age 43" (now 44), along with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden, has won his second title of the year, annexing the Miami Open 2024 men's doubles trophy. The duo rallied from a set down to beat Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-7 (3), 6-3, 10-6 in the final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida early on Sunday, March 31. (More Tennis News)
It was a match worthy of a final with ups and downs for either pair. Top seeds Bopanna-Ebden had three set points on serve at 6-5 in the first set, but second seeds Dodig and Krajicek pulled out all stops and took the first set. However, the Indo-Australian combine bounced back superbly and elevated their gameplay just when it mattered, clinching the last six points of the match to take home the championship.
While the Australian Open title was their first in 2024, the Miami triumph is Bopanna and Ebden's second at the ATP Masters 1000 level after the Indian Wells victory in 2023. The Indian had become the oldest man in the world to win an ATP Masters title at 43 years old then. With the Miami crown, Bopanna, now 44 years old, has bettered his own record.
“It’s amazing. As long as you are doing well in these big events, it’s what we play for,” Bopanna said after the match. “I want to do well in the Masters 1000s and the Grand Slams. It’s good to keep that record going and keep giving everyone else a run for their money,” he added.
The win improved Bopanna and Ebden's win-loss record to 14-3 for the current season. They have consolidated their position as the world number one pair in the men's doubles rankings.
“It’s tough. These guys, they fight back in tough moments,” Ebden reflected after the one-hour, 43-minute win. “Last time we played them it was similar, it’s a bit of a see-saw. They return so well, make so many balls and we missed one or two shots when we were up [at the end of] the first set. They played a great tie-break, and then we just reset. We just tried a different method. We just relaxed and let ourselves play, and just saw what happened. It turned out well.”
