Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden outwitted the Argentine pair 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (10-8).© Twitter

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his men’s doubles partner Matthew Ebden from Australia faced a nail-biting encounter in the opening round of Wimbledon. After a grueling two-hour and 12-minute match, they managed to outlast the spirited Argentine duo of Guillermo Duran and Tomas Etcheverry. The sixth-seeded Indo-Australian pair showcased their skills and determination, ultimately winning the match with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (10-8). Their hard-fought victory earned them a spot in the second round, where they are set to take on the unseeded British pair of Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday on Sunday.

Rohan Bopanna, aged 43, and his partner Matthew Ebden, aged 35, have been enjoying a successful year in men’s doubles. Earlier in 2023, they claimed two doubles titles on the ATP Tour, including the prestigious Qatar Open. Bopanna, in particular, made history by becoming the oldest player to win an ATP1000 Masters Series tournament at Indian Wells in the United States. He surpassed the record set by Canadian Daniel Nestor, who clinched the Cincinnati Masters title at the age of 42 in 2015.

Apart from the men’s doubles event, Bopanna will also participate in the mixed doubles category alongside Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski. The sixth-seeded pair, who previously won the French Open in 2017, will kick off their campaign against the unseeded duo of Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan from Chinese Taipei. Bopanna’s versatility and prowess in both men’s and mixed doubles add an extra layer of excitement to his Wimbledon journey.

In addition to Bopanna’s success, several other Indian players will be in action at Wimbledon. Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni will team up to face off against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina from Spain and Adrian Mannarino from France. Meanwhile, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and N Sriram Balaji are set to take on the formidable second-seeded pair of Austin Krajicek from the USA and Ivan Dodig. The Indian contingent is ready to showcase their skills and make their mark on the prestigious grass-court tournament.