Asian Games 2023: Rohan, Rutuja pair overcome Chinese Taipei, advance to mixed doubles final

After both teams were level after two sets, the Indians overcame the Taipei pair in the super tie breaks with the scoreline reading 6-1, 3-6, [10-4] in the semifinal.

Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale during the semifinal match against Chinese Taipei. | Photo Credit: PTI

India’s mixed doubles team of Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale advanced to the final of the Asian Games tennis tournament after beating Chinese Taipei’s Yu-hsiou Hsu and Hao-ching Chan here at the Hangzhou Olympic Tennis Centre on Friday.

After both teams were level after two sets, the Indians overcame the Taipei pair in the super tie breaks with the scoreline reading 6-1, 3-6, [10-4] in the semifinal.

Hsu, who had just won the men’s doubles gold more than an hour ago, and Chan were broken in the fourth game of the match allowing India to take take control and win the opening set 6-1.

In the second set, the Taipei duo nearly got the break of Rutuja’s serve in the fifth game, but they eventually came in the eighth game to help it take a 5-3 lead before they levelled the game at 1-1.

Rutuja, then, bounced back in the super tiebreak with a couple of crucial winners from the baseline as India received the Taipei serves to take it 10-4 and book its place in the final.

“It’s not easy with Taipei fans out there. They were loud and strong. But our entire team was also there to help us and we were feeding off the energy coming in from everywhere,” said Bopanna after the game.

“We had to play really well. They played one good game on our serve, there weren’t any bad points given away,” said the veteran doubles specialist.

Bopanna, who won gold at the 2018 Asiad in the men’s doubles, can now add a mixed doubles gold as India seeks to claim first place finish in tennis.