Rohan Bopanna’s sportsmanship in US Open final: Concedes point after ball clips elbow in men’s doubles summit clash

Matthew Ebden, Bopanna’s Australian partner, hit a crosscourt forehand winner in the seventh game of the deciding set but the Indian admitted that the ball clipped his elbow before going across the net.

Australia’s Matthew Ebden (left) and India’s Rohan Bopanna (right) with the runners-up trophy after losing the men’s double final against Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram of the US at the US Open on Friday. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

India’s Rohan Bopanna showed great sportsmanship during his men’s doubles final loss at the US Open in New York on Friday when he voluntarily conceded a point in the deciding set.

Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden were 2-4, 0-15 down on latter’s serve in the final set against two-time champions - USA’s Rajeev Ram and Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury - when Ebden hit a crosscourt forehand winner in the deuce court. However, as the chair umpire was about to award the point to the sixth-seeded Indo-Australian duo, Bopanna raised his hand and informed her about the ball clipping his elbow before going across the net, therefore conceding the point to his opponents.

READ - Bopanna’s achievement is unbelievable: Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi on former doubles partner’s US Open heroics

Bopanna and Ebden came from 0-30 down to win that game but eventually lost the final 6-2, 3-6, 4-6. During the presentation ceremony, Ram payed tribute to the Indian’s honesty and said, “I know, for sure, I’ve never seen something like that, especially at that kind of moment. We would have had no idea. “

Bopanna became the oldest Grand Slam finalist in the Open era at the age of 43 years 6 months. This was his second runner-up finish in men’s doubles at a Major. The Indian had also reached the final in New York in 2010 but he and Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi lost to Mike and Bob Bryan.