Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden did not make a great start to their campaign in the ATP Finals 2024. On Monday (Nov. 11), the Indo-Australian pair lost in straight sets to Italy’s Simone Boleli and Andrea Vavassori, who took only 56 minutes to win the match 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court.
Boleli and Vavassori took charge right from the outset after taking a 2-0 lead with a break of serve. The duo closed the set out with another break. That they did not give Bopanna and Ebden a single chance to break their serve showed how dominating they were in the set.
The Italian pair was stupendous with their first serves, winning 89 percent of points (31 out of 35) from them. Bopanna and Ebden, on the other hand, looked tentative after winning only 58 percent (19 out of 33) of points from their first serves.
Rohan Bopanna, Matthew Ebden surrender tamely
The second set was no different as Boleli and Vavassori converted both their break point chances to come up trumps. Yet again, Bopanna and Ebden could not fetch a break point for themselves as they went down without putting up much of a fight in the rematch of this year’s Australian Open final.
Bopanna and Ebden would be looking to bounce back in the Bob Bryan Group when they lock horns with the German pair of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz on Tuesday (Nov. 12). Krawietz and Putz made a stupendous start to their journey after beating Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in straight sets.
In men’s singles earlier in the day, Casper Ruud pulled off a major upset after beating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets. Alcaraz, who won the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year, lost the match 1-6, 5-7. It also happened to be Ruud’s maiden win over Alcaraz in five meetings.