Picture Credit: Twitter
India veteran Rohan Bopanna became the oldest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era on Thursday, 7 September after he cruised into the men’s doubles final. The 43-year-old Indian star player, who along with his partner, Australia’s Matthew Ebden entered the second Garnd Slam final in just nine months of their partnership so far.
Also Read: Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden finish as runners-up at US Open men's doubles final
However, the Indian-Australian pair lost to the World No. 2 men’s doubles pair of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, the Indian veteran earned a lot of accolades for his rare act of sportsmanship. With the game going into the decider set and the American - England duo of Rajeev and Joe leading the set 4-2, the chair umpire gave the point to the Indian-Aussie pair in a rare blindside.
At this moment, the Indian tennis ace was quick to point out to the chair umpire that his arm touched the ball and the point needs to be reversed. This gesture not only left goosebumps to the spectators present inside the court, but even the stars in the commentary box were left speechless on this act.
Watch the video here:
This rare act didn’t go unnoticed as fans took to social media for the man, who was said to have won the trophy despite losing the match. The Indian descent star player Rajeev Ram also accoladed the Indian veteran for this gesture during the post-match ceremony.
Check out the reactions here:
Talking about the game, Bopanna’s wait to win his maiden men’s doubles Grand Slam title continued as the pair lost in a hard-fought final. The Indian-Aussie pair lost to the defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in New York 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 in a match that was played for a little more than two hours. Additionally, the American-England pair of Ram and Salisbury became the first team to win three straight US Open titles.
