ATP Finals 2023: Rohan Bopanna-Matt Ebden face Australian Open champions in must-win group match

Published at :November 15, 2023 at 1:50 AM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 1:06 AM

(Courtesy : The New Indian Express)

The Indo-Aussie pair lost their opening match.

The ATP Finals 2023 men’s doubles kicked off with a thrilling encounter between the third-seeded pair of India’s Rohan Bopanna and Australia’s Matthew Ebden against the defending champions Rajeev Ram of USA and Joe Salisbury of Great Britain. The match, played on the hard courts of the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy, saw the experienced Ram and Salisbury prevail over the Indo-Australian duo in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in a little over an hour.

Bopanna and Ebden, who have been in fine form this season, will look to bounce back in their second Red Group match against the Australian pair of Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler on Wednesday. They will also face the Dutch-British combination of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in their final group match, with hopes of securing a spot in the semi-finals.

This is Bopanna’s fourth appearance at the ATP Finals, having previously competed in 2011, 2012, and 2015. The Indian tennis ace reached the finals in 2012 and 2015 with different partners, but fell short of clinching the coveted title. He aims to make history this year as the first Indian to win the prestigious tournament.

Preview

The Indo-Australian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden suffered a straight-sets defeat to the American-British duo of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in their first match of the ATP Finals. Ram and Salisbury, who are the defending champions, won 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 13 minutes at the O2 Arena in London.

Bopanna and Ebden, who qualified for the season-ending event for the first time, started well but could not hold their serve in the crucial moments. Ebden was broken in the eighth game of the first set, allowing Ram and Salisbury to take the lead.

In the second set, Bopanna dropped his serve in the ninth game, giving Ram and Salisbury the chance to serve out the match. The top seeds saved the only break point they faced and converted two of their five break opportunities.

With this win, Ram and Salisbury moved to the top of the Red Group, along with Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, who beat Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler 6-3, 6-4 in another match. Bopanna and Ebden are at the bottom of the group and will need to win their next two matches to have a chance of reaching the semifinals.

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About the opponents

Hijikata and Kubler won the Australian Open title in their first tournament together. Hijikata and Kubler have had a remarkable rise in the doubles rankings this year. Hijikata, 22, started the year at No.278 and is now at a career-high No.23. Kubler, 30, also reached a new peak of No.27 in May, after being No.165 in January. They won nine of their 15 matches together and earned 2180 points.

Although they are currently 17th in the ATP Doubles Race to Turin, they qualified as Grand Slam champions finishing between eighth and 20th. They are the only team to have this special exemption, which was introduced in 2015.

Hijikata and Kubler are the third all-Australian team to qualify for the ATP Finals in the past 20 years, following Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley in 2005, and Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios in 2022.

Kubler and Hijikata, the Australian Open champions, lost their first match in the ATP Finals to the British pair of Koolhof and Skupski. The British duo dominated the match with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline, winning more points, games, and breakpoints than their opponents. Kubler and Hijikata struggled with their first serve percentage and win rate, and could not match the consistency and resilience of Koolhof and Skupski

Head-to-head record

This will be the first time both pairs will meet against each other.

Where and how to watch live streaming and TV broadcast of Rohan Bopanna/Mathew Ebden vs Rinky Hijikata/Jason Kubler, ATP Finals 2023, clash in India?

Catch the ATP Finals 2023 live on SonyLiv for online streaming. The event will also be broadcast on Sony Sports TEN 5 SD and Sony Sports TEN 5 HD TV channels in India. The match is scheduled to take place on 15/11/23 at 16:30 PM.

Prediction

Bopanna and Ebden seem poised for victory against Hijikata and Kubler in their upcoming match at the ATP Finals, primarily due to their notable advantages in multiple aspects. With a commendable win-loss ratio of 34-18 this season compared to Hijikata and Kubler’s 25-22, Bopanna and Ebden hold a statistical edge.

Their extensive partnership since 2021 grants them a wealth of experience playing together, while Hijikata and Kubler only recently joined forces at this year’s Australian Open.

Moreover, Bopanna and Ebden’s proficiency on hard courts, exemplified by their three title wins this year on the same surface, suggests their comfort and prowess, contrasting with Hijikata and Kubler’s solitary hard court victory at the Australian Open.

The former duo’s superior first serve percentage, win rate, and lower double fault rate further tip the scales in their favor, promising a stronger hold on their service games and increased pressure on their opponents.

Bopanna and Ebden can take this game in straight sets.

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