In a surprising turn of events at the China Open ATP 500 tournament, the second-seeded Indo-Croatian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig faced a shocking first-round exit. The duo lost to the unseeded team of Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina and Nicolas Jarry from Chile with a score of 5-7, 6-7.
Match Overview
The match, held on Saturday, lasted one hour and 31 minutes. Despite their higher seeding and experience, Bopanna and Dodig struggled to find their rhythm against the aggressive play of Cerundolo and Jarry. The first set saw a closely contested battle, but the unseeded pair managed to break serve at a crucial moment, taking the set 7-5. The second set was equally competitive, leading to a tiebreaker, which Cerundolo and Jarry clinched to secure their victory.
🚨 BOPANNA KNOCKED OUT!
Indian #tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig suffered a shock loss to the pair of Francisco Cerundolo and Nicolas Jarry in a first round match of the #ChinaOpen ATP 500 tournament.
REPORT ➡️ https://t.co/bcgoP24Pd0… pic.twitter.com/v4llCp7xJp
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) September 28, 2024
Rohan Bopanna’s season so far
This defeat comes as a setback for Bopanna, who has had a remarkable season so far. The 44-year-old Indian tennis star won two major titles this year: the Australian Open and the Miami Open. His regular partner, Matthew Ebden, chose not to participate in the China Open, leading Bopanna to team up with Dodig once again. The pair has had successful stints in the past, including a runner-up finish at the 2017 ATP Montreal Masters 1000 event.
Reflecting on the match, Bopanna acknowledged the tough competition and praised Cerundolo and Jarry for their exceptional performance. “It’s always disappointing to lose, but credit to Francisco and Nicolas for playing a great match. We had our chances, but they played the crucial points better,” Bopanna said in a post-match interview.
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