ATP Finals 2023 Highlights: Rohan Bopanna-Matt Ebden lose to Marcel Granollers-Horacio Zeballos in semis

Published at :November 18, 2023 at 4:14 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 1:10 AM

(Courtesy : Instagram/Matt Ebden)

Welcome to Khel Now’s live blog for the Rohan Bopanna-Matt Ebden vs Marcel Granollers-Horacio Zeballos semi-final match in ATP Finals 2023.

India’s 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna partnering Matthew Ebden will face Wimbledon runners-up Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos in the ATP Finals 2023 semis at Center Court in Turin on Saturday (November 18). Bopanna-Ebden, who made their debut as a pair at the year-end tournament in this edition, have so far beaten the Australian Open and Wimbledon champions en route to the semifinals. Their only defeat came against reigning US Open winners Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury.

The pair have qualified for the knockouts stage as the second-best pair from the Red Group of ATP Finals 2023 and will now face Green Group winners Granollers/Zeballos, who have been in terrific form of late and advanced to the semis on the back of winning each of their three group stage matches.

Preview

Bopanna and Ebden, the third seeds, have been one of the most consistent and successful teams of the season, reaching four finals and winning two titles, including the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in March. Bopanna also made history by becoming the oldest male to reach a Grand Slam final at the US Open in September, where they lost to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

The Indo-Australian pair have continued their impressive form in Turin, winning two out of three matches in the Red Group in straight sets. They defeated the second seeds and reigning Wimbledon champions Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 6-4, 7-6 on Friday to seal their spot in the last four. Their run to the semifinals has also see Bopanna become the oldest player ever to win a match at the ATP Finals and also the oldest to reach the semi-final stage in the competition history.

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About their opponents

Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos have won all of their matches in the Green Group in straight sets, barring the opener. They defeated top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-4, 6-4 and fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 6-4. The Spanish-Argentine pair have also secured the top spot in their group, as Dodig and Krajicek beat Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the other match.

Granollers and Zeballos have been one of the most successful and consistent teams of the past three years. Since pairing up in August 2019, the duo has reached 14 finals together and won eight titles, including five ATP Masters 1000 titles. They have also qualified for the ATP Finals for a fourth consecutive year,

They have also improved their record at the season finale, as they have reached the semi-finals for the first time, after finishing third in their group in 2020 and 2021. They reached the semi-final stage in 2021 and 2022, losing to eventual champions in both editions. Marcel Granollers has won the ATP Finals before, albeit with a different partner in 2012.

Head-to-head record

Matches – 3
Bopanna/Ebden – 1
Granollers/Zeballos – 2

Both pairs have clashed on three occasions in the past, with Granollers/Zeballos leading the head-to-head record with two wins. Incidentally, all three meetings came earlier this year.

Bopanna-Ebden’s only victory over Spanish-Argentina duo came at the Paris Masters quarterfinals, their last meeting. Bopanna-Ebden went on to win that match in straight sets (6-2, 6-2) and eventually finished as runners-up in the ATP 1000 tournament.

The other two meetings between these pairs have come at the ATP Shanghai Masters and Canada Masters 1000 events. At the Shanghai Masters, Granollers/Zeballos beat the Indo-Aussie duo in three sets in the title match, while at the Canada Masters they won the quarter-final meeting.

Prediction

Having already won twice this season over Bopanna-Ebden, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will be confident of extending their superior head-to-head record against the third seeds. Rohan Bopanna and Matt Ebden though will head into the clash with some confidence knowing well that the previous meeting just two weeks ago went their way.

Although they started their campaign with a defeat, Bopanna and Ebden have shown fine form so far at the ATP Finals 2023. But Granollers/Zeballos will have the edge in this meeting with the pair entering this crucial clash on the back of a 100 percent win record so far in the competition.

Expect the match to head into the third and deciding set and from there it could be anyone’s game. The pair with more resilience and mental hardness might walk away as the winner from this blockbuster clash.

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