Paris Olympics 2024: This could be the last time Bopanna represents India in a multi-sport event.
India’s tennis campaign at the Paris Olympics lasted only a day, as Sumit Nagal and his two sons Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji bowed out after winning their opening singles matches against the French here on Sunday. In his second appearance at the Olympics, Nagal bounced back from a first-round loss but lost 2-6 6-4 5-7 in two hours and 28 minutes on a packed court at Roland Garros.
In the Tokyo Games, Nagal lost to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the second round but could not manage the first round of the match today. He led 2-0 in the deciding game at the opening break but allowed Moutet to return and win.
Later in the day, Bopanna and Balaji lost 5-7 2-6 to Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Gaël Monfils, who replaced the injured Fabien Reboul with the home team in the last minute. India has won only one Olympic medal in tennis when Leander Paes won the bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Monfils’ outstanding ability helped the home team, which the crowd loved. This may be the last time Bopanna represents India in a multi-sport event. The 44-year-old has already announced his retirement from Davis Cup. The doubles tournament was a series of heated exchanges between Bopanna and the two French players.
India’s Bopanna and Balaji Fall to French Duo Roger-Vasselin and Monfils
The French’s policy of putting Bopanna on a long drive from behind took Balaji off the board in many places and spoiled the debutant’s chances to finish quickly at the net. The Indians lost their first serve when Bopanna found themselves trailing 0-40 in the sixth over after a long spell of innings that ended in an unforced error from the Indian team.
However, Bopanna and Balaji managed to get a break in the next game in the Roger-Vasselin project. The stop ball led, but Monfils failed to fire a volley.
The game also started serving. Eventually, Balaji returned to serve at 5-6 to stay in the set. Shaking, she struggled to keep her first serve and double-faulted to get back to 15-30. A long time ago, it stopped supporting members of the house. In the second round, Bopanna came back with a volley. Balaji could not hold his serve in the second set, while Bopanna also struggled to cope with the power of the French players.
The match ended with an unforced error from the Indian team. It’s always been a battle between Nagal and Moutet, with three of their last four outings being three sets and today was no different.
