Asian Games, tennis: Top seeds Bopanna and Bhambri bow out
Top seeds in men's doubles tennis, Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri were one of India's biggest bets to win the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games. But in a shocking turn of events, the Indian pairing lost to lower-ranked Sergey Fomin and Khumoyun Sultanov of Uzbekistan in the second round. Bopanna-Bhambri lost the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-10 in the super tiebreaker. Here's more.
Bopanna is in the doubles top 10 ranking
The tennis players from Uzbekistan are not even in the top 300 doubles rankings while they defeated Bopanna, who is ranked World Number seven in doubles ranking. Bhambri is ranked 65th in the world according to the ATP doubles ranking this year. Therefore it is probably the biggest shock for India from this edition of the Continental Games.
Bopanna won the men's doubles gold medal in 2018 Asiad
Bopanna, who might be playing his last Asian Games this year, clinched a gold medal with his partner Divij Sharan in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. India in total have won six Asian Games medals in men's doubles. Out of which, five are gold medals. Heading into this event, Bopanna finished as the US Open runners-up with his teammate Mathew Ebden.
Ramanathan and Myneni through to the quarter-finals
The other Indian men's doubles pairing of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni have progressed to the quarter-finals after they defeated the Indonesian pair of Ignatius Anthony Susanto and David Agung Susanto 6-3, 6-2 in 68 minutes.
Bopanna and Bhambri will now focus on mixed doubles
Bopanna and Bhambri will look to put this defeat behind them as they need to focus on mixed doubles events. While the 43-year-old with pair with Rutuja Bhosale, Bhambri will partner with India's highest-ranked female tennis star Ankita Raina. Raina has stormed into the women's singles quarter-finals with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Uzbekistan's Sabrina Olimjonova. Bhosale also progressed to the quarter-finals.
India have bagged 32 medals in tennis at Asian Games
Indian tennis stars have clinched 32 medals at the Asian Games. Out of these, nine are gold medals, six are silver, and 17 are bronze medals. India have won five gold medals in the men's doubles. Somdev Devvarman bagged the only singles gold in 2010.
