Australian Open 2024, HIGHLIGHTS: Bopanna becomes oldest Grand Slam champion in Open era, wins men’s doubles title with Ebden

Women’s Doubles Final - Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR)/Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) vs Su-wei Hsieh (TPE)/Elise Mertens (BEL) - 9:30AM IST

Men’s Singles Final - Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Daniil Medvedev (RUS) - Not before 2PM IST

2003 (mixed doubles) - Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova (USA)

2006 (mixed doubles) - Mahesh Bhupathi and Martina Hingis (Switzerland)

2009 (mixed doubles) - Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza

2010 (mixed doubles) - Leander Paes and Cara Black (Zimbabwe)

2012 (men’s doubles) - Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek (Czechia)

2015 (mixed doubles) - Leander Paes and Martina Hingis (Switzerland)

2016 (women’s doubles) - Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis (Switzerland)

2024 (men’s doubles) - Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden (Australia)

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden receive the winner’s trophy.

Ebden: Thanks to my partner Rohan. He is 43-year-old and has just won his first men’s doubles Grand Slam title. 

Bopanna: I am level 43, not at age 43 and it would not have been possible without my fantastic Aussie partner.

On Thursday, Bopanna was selected for the Padma Shri award. Today, he wins his first men’s doubles Grand Slam title and on Monday, he will officially be crowned as World No. 1

What a sensational win for the Indo-Australian pair!

Rohan Bopanna, at the age of 43 years 329 days, becomes the oldest man ever to win a Grand Slam in the Open era. And don’t forget, this was his 61st attempt to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title.

Matthew Ebden keeps the home streak going in men’s doubles. In 2022, it was Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis and last year, Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler won the title.

Wide serve into the deuce court from Ebden and the forehand return from Bolelli goes wide: 0-15. Double fault from Ebden and that makes it 15-all.

Forehand pass of the highest quality from Ebden to go 30-15 up. Great anticipation from Bopanna to hit a brilliant forehand volley and that brings up two championship points!

Easiest overhead smash for Bopanna and that’s it!!!!

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden are Australian Open champions!!!!

Vavassori serves. Body serve, Bopanna hits the backhand return and Bolelli misses the ball which ends up landing inside the baseline: 0-15.

Forehand return from Ebden keeps low and Vavassori nets the backhand volley: 0-30.

Double fault from Vavassori and it gives three break points to the 2nd seeds: 0-40.

And they do break at the first time of asking as Ebden makes a brilliant interception after rushing to the net to hit a forehand volley at an out-of-position Bolelli. 

Bopanna to serve to keep the 2nd seeds in this set. Vavassori wins the opening point with a crosscourt overhead smash: 0-15. Vavassori nets a simple forehand return and that makes it 15-all. Ebden continues to do great work at the net as he wins this point with a backhand volley.

Bopanna holds serve and keeps the scores level in the second set.

Bolelli serves. Deep crosscourt forehand return from Bopanna draws the error from Bolelli: 0-15. T serve from Bolelli, Ebden sends the forehand return wide: 15-all.

Great crosscourt forehand winner from Bolelli after Vavassori’s backhand volley let the 2nd seeds into the point: 30-15. Bolelli holds to keep the Italians ahead.

Ebden serves. Ace, wide into the deuce court from a second serve. Overhead smash down the middle from behind the baseline by Ebden to make it 30-0. 

Body serve from Ebden and Bolelli hits a clean backhand winner down the line: 30-15. Second serve, down the T, Vavassori’s forehand return is deep and hence, Ebden mistimes the forehand in response: 30-30. Great backhand volley from Bopanna to keep the point going before Ebden hit a great forehand pass: 40-30. Ebden holds.

Vavassori serves. Goes to 30-0 up quickly. Bopanna wins the next point as he hits a fast forehand in the middle and Bolelli’s volley goes wide. 

Crosscourt forehand from Vavassori goes wide and the scoreline becomes 40-30. Is this the moment the 2nd seeds get the break?

Second serve, wide into the ad court, and Ebden hits a gorgeous backhand return winner down the line: deuce.

T ace from Vavassori. Another one up the T and Ebden nets the forehand return. Vavassori holds. 

Bopanna serves. Begins with a double fault. Follows it up with a T ace: 15-all. Ebden shows his skills at the net to win the volley exchange with Vavassori: 30-15.

Bopanna hits the forehand down the line winner while Vavassori moves to cover a crosscourt shot. Bopanna holds serve.

Bolelli serves. Great net play from Vavassori to win the point: 30-0. Poor volley from Vavassori and Bopanna hits the return right back at him: 40-15. 

Bopanna tries a lob to keep the rally going after a brief crosscourt exchange with Bolelli but the ball lands wide.

Ebden serves. Begins with an ace wide in the deuce court. Follows it up with a T ace. And then a double fault: 30-15. 

Second serve, up the T, and Vavassori nets the forehand return: 40-15. Ebden holds serve easily.

Vavassori serves. Goes up 30-0. Double fault from the Italian and the scoreline is 40-30. Chance for the 2nd seeds. 

Serve-and-volley from Vavassori and Ebden makes the error as he nets the inside-out forehand return. Vavassori holds serve.

Bopanna to serve. Begins with an ace wide in the deuce court. Ebden makes it 30-0 as he hits the backhand volley right back at Bolelli, giving him no chance to react. Wayward forehand from Bopanna but the scoreline still pretty much in his favour: 40-15.

Bopanna holds serve.

Bolelli to serve first in the second set. Moves to 40-0 in no time. And manages to close it.

Bopanna serves first. Begins with a T serve and Bolelli nets the backhand return: 1-0. The 2nd seeds get the mini-break as Bopanna finds the open court with a forehand volley: 2-0. And Bopanna further extends the advantage as Vavassori is forced to make a difficult backhand volley after a dipping forehand from the Indian and he sends it wide: 3-0. Make that lead 4-0 for the 2nd seeds as the Indo-Australian pair continue to draw mistakes from the opponents. 

T serve from Ebden does the trick and the scoreline becomes 5-0. Overhead smash from Ebden right at Bolelli’s feet and he cannot do anything: 6-0. Ebden finishes the tiebreak with a forehand winner down the line. Perfection from the 2nd seeds!

Vavassori serving to take this set to a tiebreak. Moves up to 40-0. Love hold. Onto the tiebreak!

Ebden serves. Begins with an unreturnable T serve: 15-0. A crisp backhand return pass from Bolelli on a T serve from Ebden and the Italians are up 30-15. 

Second serve from Ebden and Vavassori nets the forehand return. That could be a crucial miss: 30-all. 

The Italians, however, do have their first break point as they go up Ad-40. Big body serve from Ebden and Vavassori’s backhand return goes wide: deuce. Ebden gets a chance to close the game but ends up committing a double fault: deuce. 

Slower second serve from Ebden and Bolelli nets the forehand return. Baseline exchange between Ebden and Vavassori before the Italian goes for an inside-out forehand and it’s an incredible winner: deuce.

Serve wide into the deuce court from Ebden to Bolelli and it works. Follows it up with a T ace on a second serve. Ebden holds!

Bolelli serving to keep the Italians in the set. Crosscourt forehand volley winner from Bopanna as Bolelli tries to pass him with a backhand down the line and the 2nd seeds are up 30-0.

However, the Italians manage to get out of trouble and take a 40-30 lead. And Bolelli holds!

Bopanna serves. Second serve into Bolelli’s body and the Italian nets the backhand return - 15-0. Big serves from the big Indian and he is 40-0 up in no time. 

Vavassori comes up with a stunning backhand down the line return winner on a serve wide into the ad court: 40-15. Bopanna closes the game with a T ace.

Vavassori serves. Love hold. Keeps things close. 

Ebden to serve. Lovely lob from Ebden to go over Vavassori and move to 30-0. Great serving from the Australian to hold serve.

Bolelli serves. Moves to 30-0 in no time. Holds serve without much fuss.

Second serve from Bopanna, Bolelli hits the backhand return past Ebden who lets it go, only to watch it land inside the baseline. Bopanna targets Vavassori’s backhand and that gives Ebden an easy chance to finish the point with an overhead smash - 15-all.

Bopanna fires down an ace to close the game and stay ahead.

Body serve from Vavassori and Bopanna nets the backhand return. Big T serve and Ebden’s forehand return goes long. Inside-out backhand return from Bopanna on a second serve, the drop volley from Vavassori only finds the net - 30-15. Good lob from Ebden to make the Italians play one more shot and it works as Vavassori nets the overhead smash - 30-all.

Quick rally, Bopanna’s backhand return hits the net before going on to hit Vavassori. Lucky but here’s a break point for the second seeds again. Big T serve from Vavassori to save that. Vavassori manages to close the game.

Ebden to serve. A slight opportunity for the Italians at 30-40 but Ebden shuts that window quickly.

Bolelli to serve first from the Italians. Forehand down the line winner from Ebden to make it 15-15 as Vavassori moved to cover the crosscourt return. Unforced error from Bopanna - forehand return goes way off the court. Ebden makes a great forehand return before rushing to close the net and as a result, Bolelli nets a forehand: 30-30. Break point for the Indo-Australian pair after a forehand volley from Vavassori goes long. 

Bolelli makes Bopanna reach for a crosscourt forehand volley and the Indian’s return goes long - deuce. Bolelli holds serve.

Bopanna to serve first. Backhand return from Bolelli on a second serve goes wide. Unforced error from Vavassori - crosscourt backhand finds the net. Big T serve from Bopanna to go 40-0 up. Bopanna holds serve.

Here we go! Both men’s doubles finalists have entered the Rod Laver Arena - it is the second-seeded Indo-Australian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden against the unseeded all-Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

Rohan Bopanna is competing in his 61st Grand Slam doubles event with his 19th different partner. If he wins this time, he will go top of the Open Era list for most attempts before winning a first Grand Slam men’s doubles title. The record is currently held by USA’s Rajeev Ram (58).

He has got the World No. 1 ranking. He has also been selected for the Padma Shri Award. Can Rohan Bopanna end a memorable week with his first ever men’s doubles Grand Slam title?

If he does, he will become the oldest man in history to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era at the age of 43 years 329 days.

1st round: Beat Romain Arneodo (MON) - Sam Weissborn (AUT) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7)

2nd round: Beat Nicolas Mahut (FRA) - Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3

3rd round: Beat Nikola Cacic (SRB) - Denys Molchanov (UKR) 6-2, 6-2

Quarterfinals: Beat Kevin Krawietz (GER) - Tim Puetz (GER) 7-5, 6-4

Semifinals: Beat Yannick Hanfmann (GER) - Dominik Koepfer (GER) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5)

1st round: Beat James Duckworth (AUS) - Marc Polmans (AUS) 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(2)

2nd round: Beat John Millman (AUS) - Edward Winter (AUS) 6-2, 6-4

3rd round: Beat Wesley Koohlof (NED) - Nikola Mektic (CRO) 7-6(8), 7-6(4)

Quarterfinals: Beat Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) - Andres Molteni (ARG) 6-4, 7-6(5)

Semifinals: Beat Tomas Machac (CZE) - Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7)

The Australian Open men’s doubles final between Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden and Simone Bolelli-Andrea Vavassori will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network while the live streaming will be available on Sony Liv.

Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of the Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles between Indo-Australian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden and the all-Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The match will start after the ongoing women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen.