French Open: Rohan Bopanna-Matwe Middelkoop’s campaign ends, duo bow out in men’s double semi-finals

India’s veteran tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Dutch partner Matwe Middelkoop’s inspiring run at Roland Garros concluded on Thursday evening (June 02) as the duo bowed out with a defeat in the men’s doubles. Facing the 12th seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean Julien Roger, the Indian-Dutch pair conceded the proceedings 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(8).

While Bopanna had made it to the semis of a Grand Slam for the first time in seven years, it was Middelkoop’s maiden appearance at the last-four round of a Major. In the semis, the Indo-Dutch pair were off to a winning start as they wrapped up the opening set, 6-4, in 36 minutes. From thereon, Arevalo-Roger clawed their way back into the match by pocketing the second and penultimate set 6-3 in 40 minutes. The third and final set went into a tiebreaker where Bopanna-Middelkoop saved two match points, however, they lost the contest eventually.

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Despite the result not going in their favour in the semi-finals, Bopanna-Matwe can surely be proud of their overall campaign. The Indo-Dutch pair registered a stunning win over the British-Finland pairing of Llyod Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara in the quarter-finals. Even in the pre-quarters, they had saved five match points before getting the better of second-seeds Mate Pavic-Nikola Mektic.

Talking about Bopanna, the 42-year-old Indian continues to stay relevant in the tennis fraternity with his performances and never-say-die attitude. His determination and fitness stands out and the veteran will be looking to carry on with the momentum in the upcoming majors this year.