Asian Games 2018: Bopanna-Sharan enter doubles final; ensure silver medal

The Indian men’s doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan bounced back from a game down to enter the Tennis singles final of the 18^th Asian Games on Thursday.

After losing the opening game in the semi-finals, Bopanna-Sharan fought back to defeat the Japanese opponents Sho Shimabukuro and Kaito Uesugi 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 in an hour and 12 minutes to reach the summit clash and ensure themselves a silver medal.

They next face another Japanese pair of Yosuke Watanuki and Yuya Ito in the gold medal match on Friday.

Also Read: Asian Games 2018: Ankita Raina settles for bronze in women’s singles tennis

Facing the less experienced Kaito and Sho, the Indian pair put up a hard fight but lacked the finishing touch and struggled to keep pace against the Japanese pair, shockingly losing 4-6 in the opening set. The first game loss, however, triggered a grand comeback for the pair and soon they blew away the Japanese pair in the second set.

Bopanna-Sharan won the second set 6-3, before overlooking another close fight in the game-deciding set to win it 10-8 and clinch the game.

Meanwhile, Ankita Raina bowed out of the women’s singles category following a semi-final defeat to Zhang Shuai of China. She lost 4-6, 6-7 (6) in a closely-fought contest, which lasted a little over two hours.

In the process though Ankita became the only second Indian after Sania Mirza to have clinched a medal in the singles category. Three-time doubles Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza, who is expecting her first baby remains the only Indian women’s Tennis player to win two medals at the Asian Games.

Elsewhere, Prajnesh Gunneswaran assured India of another bronze after sailing through to the semi-final of the men’s singles event following his 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (8) victory over Kwon Soon-Woo of South Korean in another closely contested battle.