Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden finish as runners-up in ATP Shanghai Masters

The Indo-Aussie pair also confirmed their place in the ATP Finals for the first time.

India's Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden settled for runners-up finish at the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters after failing to get past Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the men's doubles final. The Bopanna/Ebden pair won the first set 7-5 but could not build on the momentum and eventually went down 7-5, 2-6, 7-10 to the Spanish-Argentine pair.

After dropping serve in the 12th game of the first set to lose the opener, Granollers and Zeballos broke their opponent’s serve twice, racing to a 4-0 lead in the second set. They converted 78% percent (36/46) of Bopanna and Ebden’s first serves in the match en route to their win.

Granollers-Zeballos won 53 percent (8/15) of points on Bopanna and Ebden’s first serves in the second set to level at 1-1. The tournament’s seventh seeds forced the match into a tie-break, which they won 10-7. Their triumph came in 84 minutes on their third match point.

The Granollers and Zeballos pairing did not drop a set en route to the final but were made to sweat by Bopanna and Ebden, who were chasing their third trophy of the season as a team, but it was not to be.

The fourth-seeded Indo-Aussie pair had a good run in Shanghai, sealing qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. They bagged the spot with a 7-6(0), 4-6, 10-2 against Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia in the semis of the Shanghai Masters. 

The 2023 Nitto ATP finals will be Bopanna’s fourth appearance, and all four times have been with different partners. Ebden will be competing in the season final for what will be his first time. The 2023 ATP Finals are scheduled to take place between November 12 to 19 at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy. 

The Indo-Australian duo tasted success at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells and also lifted the trophy in Doha. Bopanna and Ebden also reached the final at the US Open Grand Slam event and the summit clash of the Masters 1000 final in Madrid.