NEW YORK: Rohan Bopanna wears a medallion around his neck, the Kodava coat of arms. Bopanna has been wearing it for the last two decades, but this version, designed by his wife Supriya, is eye-ball grabbing.
The 43-year-old is stating his intention in yellow metal.
At the Australian Open this fortnight -- Bopanna and Aussie Matthew Ebden are seeded number two in the men’s doubles -- the Kodava’s highest billing in a major.
The Indo-Aussie duo, who have made four finals in their last five tournament outings, stretching from the US Open in September to Adelaide last week, play wildcard entrants James Duckworth and Marc Polmans in the first round here.
The veteran Indian leads a field of four compatriots – Yuki Bhambri and the all-Indian pairing of Anirudh Chandrasekar and 37-year Vijay Sunder Prashanth --- and possibly a fifth if Sriram Balaji makes the cut.
Chandrasekar and Prashanth have bagged a wildcard and play the Hungarian pair of Marton Fucsovics and Fabien Maroszan in their opener. Bhambri and Dutchman Robin Haase take on the Colombian-Brazilian combine of Rafael Matos and Nicolas Barrientos.
Bopanna said the numbers, his ranking and results, show how consistent a year he has enjoyed. He doesn’t see it as missing five titles.
“Had I won yesterday, I would’ve been No.2 this week,” he said.
Bopanna’s doubles squads have been helped along by a program for tennis’ two-man act, funded by KPIT and facilitated by the Pune Municipal District Tennis Association. They had their pre-season in Bangalore and Bopanna has managed them, making fitness trainers and coaches available to the players whenever and wherever they are competing and training, including here in Melbourne.
The 43-year-old says he rather look at his last five tournaments as encouraging even though a title has eluded the duo -- when they have been within touching distance of owning the World No.1 team ranking.
“Not so much in the Grand Slams but in the ATP (tournaments) with the no-ad scoring kicking in, I think this is very, very encouraging,” he said of the results.
Bopanna, who called his opening outing in Melbourne Park as tricky, given that they are playing an all-Aussie duo, who are bound to have crowd support, is looking forward to his third Olympic games later in the summer.
“I’m looking forward to going to another Olympics,” he said, adding that this would be his third Games.
“Whoever I play with, it will be their debut there,” he said. “Last time I went to Rio I was top-10, this time also it will most probably be the same.”
The cut-off for the quadrennial games will be in June, following the French Open. Bopanna, who lost in the first round in the first two majors of the year, said chances of making the cut for Paris 2024 are ripe.
