That was a brutal domination by Bopanna and Roger-Vasselin in that tie-break! Absolutely did not give the top seeds any space to breathe!
The 13th seeds were the better team right from the beginning. And, despite giving up their break advantage in the second set, they never allowed the top seeds to get a set.
This big win will give Bopanna and Roger-Vasselin tremendous amounts of confidence as they go deeper into the draw.
India's hopes at the French Open lie entirely on Rohan Bopanna now as Yuki Bhambri and Divij Sharan bowed out in men’s doubles. Meanwhile, Bobanna and Timea Babos of Hungary also lost their opening match against John Peers and Shuai Zhang, ending India's run in the mixed doubles category.
The 13th seeded pair of Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin eased past Taylor Fritz & Frances Tiafoe in the first round, defeating them 6-3, 6-1. The Indo-French pair was then up against the all-French combine of Benjamin Bonzi and Gregoire Jacq. This was also a relatively easy win for the duo and they sealed the match in just 48 minutes, the scoreline being 6-1, 6-2 in favour of Bopanna and Vasselin. A win here ensured their entry into the 3rd round. However, little did they know that they will be facing the top seeded pairing of Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot in the Round of 16. Melo and Kubot are also the reigning Wimbledon champions.
A tough challenge awaits them in the Round of 16, yet the Indo-French duo have looked solid in their performances so far and have will certainly be up to it. Going all guns blazing right from the word go will be essential in this match.
Bopanna won the French Open title alongside Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 12 months ago in the mixed dounles category, however his chances of winning silverware for the country seem a little less likely this time around.