Match report
Bopanna/Ebden set Bolelli/Vavassori AO final
Bopanna/Ebden seek first Slam as a team
January 25, 2024
Peter Staples
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in action on Thursday in Melbourne.
By ATP staff
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden reached their second major final as a team on Thursday when they saw off Tomas Machac and Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(10-7) at the Australian Open.
Australia’s Ebden and 43-year-old Bopanna, who will make his debut at the top of the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings next Monday and become the oldest No. 1 in history, were strong on serve and tight on the return in the latter stages of the match .
The second seeds recovered from squandering a 5-2 lead in the third set, pulling away in the tiebreak to advance to the final after two hours and two minutes. The India-Australia team won all six tiebreakers they played this fortnight.
“It’s amazing to be back in another Grand Slam final and a different Grand Slam,” Bopanna said. “Especially I think I know for Matt it’s definitely the home Grand Slam. For me also I think this is the home Grand Slam, coming from the Asian continent.”
Bopanna and Ebden, who reached the US Open title match last season, will aim to win their maiden major trophy together when they face Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Bopanna has won 24 double-level tour crowns, but never a Slam. Ebden won Wimbledon in 2022 with Max Purcell.
“It’s match by match, that’s what we’ve learned,” Ebden said. “Even in the last few months, a lot of finals. We’ve won some to win some titles and we’ve lost some as well. We know to just think of it as one more fight and just go out there and fight for one more fight at a time.
“I’m not really going to do anything other than that. I’m not looking too far ahead. Just another tough race on Saturday. But of course very happy and excited at the same time.”
In the other semi-final, Italy’s Bolelli and Vavassori beat Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(10-5) to continue their dream run in Melbourne. Bolelli and Vavassori won 78 percent (54/69) of their first serve points and sealed victory on their third match point.
Bolelli and Vavassori are chasing their first title together after reaching the finals in Halle and Umag last year.