HANGZHOU: The Indian tennis duo Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale exhibited their prowess on the tennis court as they secured the gold medal in the tennis mixed doubles event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.
In a thrilling final match, the Rohan-Rutuja pair initially faced adversity, losing the first set to Chinese Taipei’s En-shuo Liang and Tsung-hao Huang by a score of 6-2. However, displaying remarkable resilience and determination, the Indian pair mounted a stunning comeback, ultimately prevailing in straight sets with scores of 3-6 and 4-10. The final showdown lasted for just over an hour, culminating in India’s well-deserved gold medal victory.
Their journey to the gold was marked by their impressive performance in the semi-final match of the mixed doubles event, where the 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale outclassed Chinese Taipei’s Yu-hsiou Hsu and Hao-Ching Chang with a scoreline of 6-1, 3-6, and 10-4, ensuring India’s representation in the final and securing at least a silver medal.
In the semi-final, the Indian duo claimed the first set with a convincing score of 6-1. While they faced a temporary setback in the second set, they rallied during the tiebreaker, decisively winning it 10-4, securing their spot in the final.
The tennis events at the 19th Asian Games commenced on September 24 and concluded with a spectacular triumph by Bopanna and Bhosale in the mixed doubles final. Their victory added to India’s medal tally, which currently places the country in fourth position on the medals table for the 19th Asian Games. India has secured a total of 34 medals, including nine gold, 13 silver, and 13 bronze medals.
