US Open Highlights: Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury became the first Men’s Doubles pair to lift three successive titles in US Open. The third seeded seeded pair clinched a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in the final on Friday, 8th September 2023.
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Bopanna was playing the US Open final for the second time in his career. He was the oldest player at 43 to feature in a Grand Slam final and was eyeing his maiden Men’s Doubles Grand Slam title.
However his hopes of lifting the prestigious title came to an end. He had finished a runner-up with his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi way back in 2010. Back then they lost to the legendary Bryan brothers.
Overall, it was third Grand Slam final for Bopanna, who won his first and only Major in 2017 when he lifted the French Open mixed doubles trophy with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski.
Bopanna and Ebden got the start they wanted. They broke the defending champions in the very first game. The sixth seeds had a chance to go up 3-0 but could not convert the breakpoint when the Briton served at 30-40. The defending champions eventually played out three deuce points in that third game to hold their serve. The Indo-Australian pair soon earned another breakpoint and went on to win the first set easily 6-2.
At the start of the second set too, Ram-Salisbury duo faced the heat. Salisbury served two double faults and were 0-30 down in the third game. However they made a comeback and held on to their serve. The momentum however soon shifted. Rohan Bopanna struggled with his serves and a couple of break points were enough for the defending champions to break the serve as they went up 4-2. Ram and Salisbury went on to seal the set and took the contest into the decider.
In the opening game of the third set, Bopanna and Ebden were 0-40 down. However they saved the three break points and held on to their service game.
Heart-stopping action followed in the fourth game when Salisbury staved off three breakpoints to stay on serve. Bopanna served a double fault at 30-all in the fifth game. Soon the defending champions broke the service game.
Down 2-4 in the final set, Bopanna showed exemplary sportsman spirit and character. He himself conceded a point after a ball deflected off his right arm when his serving partner made a forehand return. It was considered a winner as the chair umpire could not notice the deflection but the Indian himself told the umpire that he was conceding the point.
Ebden held the serve and so did Bopanna in the next game. Ram came out to serve for the championship and there was no twist in the tale.
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