ATP Finals 2023: Rohan Bopanna-Matt Ebden face defeat in group stage opener against defending champions

Published at :November 14, 2023 at 1:55 AM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 1:05 AM

(Courtesy : Tennis TV)

The Indo-Australian pair went down in just over an hour.

Defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury kicked off their Nitto ATP Finals 2023 campaign in Turin with a solid victory over Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden on Monday. The titleholders secured a 6-3, 6-4 win in their opening Red Group match against the Indian-Australian duo.

Ram and Salisbury sealed their victory with a break in each set, sealing their win in a brisk 61 minutes. Their knack for adapting to the swift court in Turin was evident, reminiscent of their successful run in 2022. The American-British pair delivered a stellar serving performance, winning 83% of points behind their first serves and saving the sole break point they faced at a critical juncture in the second set.

This encounter marked the second time these teams met this year, following Ram and Salisbury’s win over Bopanna and Ebden in the US Open final in September. The pair are aiming to clinch their fourth tour-level championship this season in Turin, after triumphs in Lyon and Vienna.

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On the opposing side, the third-seeded Bopanna and Ebden arrived in Italy after reaching the championship match in their past three tournaments. Despite Bopanna’s two-time finalist status at the Nitto ATP Finals, they couldn’t crack the serve of Ram and Salisbury, extending the latter’s lead to 2-0 in their head-to-head record.