NEW DELHI: Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden staged a remarkable comeback after dropping the first set, narrowly defeating the resilient duo of N Sriram Balaji and MA Reyes-Varela Martinez in the Super Tie-breaker to advance to the French Open quarterfinals in Paris on Monday.
The second-seeded Indo-Australian pair demonstrated composure in crucial moments to emerge as 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) victors in the men's doubles third round.
As Bopanna continues to search for his partner for the Paris Games, Balaji's performance may have caught the attention of the seasoned Indian player, who is one of only three Indians to have won Grand Slam titles. Being a top-10 player, Bopanna holds the privilege of selecting his partner for the Games.
In a closely contested first set, both pairs held serve until Balaji and Reyes-Varela seized the advantage with a 5-4 lead.
Despite opportunities for the second seeds to break, the unseeded pair held firm. The set eventually required a tie-breaker, with Balaji and Reyes-Varela clinching it after establishing an early lead.
Bopanna and Ebden, however, bounced back strongly in the second set, securing an early break to force a decisive third set.
The third set unfolded as a tight battle, with neither pair conceding ground easily. The games remained fiercely contested, with Ebden delivering under pressure to hold serve at a crucial moment.
In the intense Super Tie-breaker, both pairs remained evenly matched until Balaji's double fault at 7-8 provided the Indo-Australian duo with two match points. Although they saved the first, Ebden capitalized on the second opportunity to seal the victory with a winning shot, clinching a hard-fought win.
(With PTI inputs)
