Bopanna-Ebden begin ATP with straight set defeat

Turin: Ace Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna and his Australian men’s doubles partner Matthew Ebden started their ATP Finals campaign on a losing note, suffering a straight-set defeat in a group stage match.

Bopanna and Ebden were defeated by the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 2-6, 3-6 in just 56 minutes here on Monday. The Indo-Australian pair had defeated their opponents in this year’s Australian Open final.

Bolelli and Vavassori, the fourth seeds, dominated from the outset, breaking their rivals in the second game.

A double fault by the Indo-Australian pair in the eighth game allowed the Italians to secure another break of serve, further thwarting any hopes of a comeback.

Buoyed by the local support, Bolelli and Vavassori continued their domination in the second set as well, taking the crucial break in the fourth game.