NEW YORK: Rohan Bopanna is 43 and owning it. On Thursday, playing in unforgiving conditions, the 6-feet-4-inch Indian, in tandem with the rock-solid Aussie Matthew Ebden, made the US Open men’s doubles final.
The sixth seeds rallied to beat the French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (3), 6-2.
Bopanna, in the final here in New York 13 years after his maiden charge in the men’s doubles in 2010, became the oldest men’s Grand Slam finalist of the Open Era. At 43 years and six months, he beat Daniel Nestor’s record.
“Great energy from the crowd, thank you guys for coming,” an emotional Bopanna said. “Back in the (US Open) final 13 years later, I love New York.”
The conditions were extreme, the roof was partially drawn over the Louis Armstrong stadium. The 41-year-old Mahut came down on the court when he was serving in the a12th game. He complained of dizziness. Play was stalled for four minutes when the physio and doctor came on court to attend to the Frenchman.
Meanwhile, India’s Aryan Shah and South Korea’s Seungmin Park beat the seventh seeds Italy’s Federico Cina and Japan’s Rel Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2) to move into the quarterfinals of the US Open junior boys’ doubles.





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