Rohan Bopanna became only the third Indian to win a men's doubles Grand Slam title, taking the Australian Open crown with partner Matthew Ebden following a commanding win over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
In a high-quality game of tennis, second-seeded Bopanna and Ebden won 7-6(0) 7-5 against the Italian team in the final that lasted one hour and 39 minutes.
Bopanna, aged 43 years 329 days, is the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open era. He has been selected for the Padma Shri award. On Monday, he will officially become doubles World No. 1.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Neeraj Chopra, Sachin Tendulkar and many others congratulated Bopanna on social media.
During their run to the final, Bopanna and Ebden prevailed in six set deciders, including two super tiebreaks, to reach their straight Grand Slam final together. They had a similar run at the US Open last year.
Maiden Men's doubles Grand Slam for Rohan Bopanna; wins Australian Open with Matthew Ebden