Australian Foreign Minister congratulates Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden following AUS Open win

MELBOURNE: Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong on Sunday congratulated Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden for winning the 2024 Australian Open men’s doubles title as a team on Saturday.

Wong took to her official X (formerly Twitter) account and said that the Australians and Indians are partnering on the global stage. She added that the win of Bopanna and Ebden was a sign of what 2024 holds for the Indo-Aus relationship.

“Australians and Indians are partnering on the global stage: congratulations to @mattebden and @rohanbopanna, winners of the @AustralianOpen Men’s Doubles. A great sign of what 2024 holds for our cooperation @DrSJaishankar,” Wong wrote on X.

Australians and Indians are partnering on the global stage: congratulations to @mattebden and @rohanbopanna, winners of the @AustralianOpen Men’s Doubles. A great sign of what 2024 holds for our cooperation @DrSJaishankar pic.twitter.com/aAM1SW1rNi

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) January 28, 2024

In the summit clash, Bopanna and Ebden dominated on serve throughout the one-hour, 40-minute match, winning 80 per cent (40/50) of games with their first delivery and not facing a break point to top off a fantastic week.

The duo defeated Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in straight sets 7-6, 7-5 in a thrilling encounter.

Bopanna, who made his 17th Australian Open appearance in this edition, comfortably wrapped up his maiden Grand Slam men’s doubles title victory. Aged 43 years 329 days, he also became the oldest Grand Slam champion.

The Indian tennis player is also the third Indian man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title, following Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. On Monday, he will become the oldest top-ranked player in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

This was Bopanna’s second Grand Slam triumph, his first in men’s doubles. His previous Grand Slam victory came in mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada at the 2017 French Open. (ANI)