On Friday, September 29, the dynamic duo of Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale clinched a spot in the Asian Games 2023 mixed doubles final. They showcased their prowess by overcoming the challenge from Taiwan's Yu-hsiou Hsu and Hao-ching Chan with a scoreline of 6-1, 3-6, 10-4. The intense battle lasted for an hour and 12 minutes at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Tennis Centre Court 1.
The Indian pair is now gearing up to face another formidable Taiwanese duo, Tsung-hao Huang and En-shuo Liang. This pair secured their final berth by defeating the Philippines' Francis Casey Alcantara and Alexandra Eala in a match that spanned an hour and 37 minutes.
The initial set saw Bopanna and Rutuja dominate, capitalizing on every break point opportunity. However, the tables turned in the second set, with the Taiwanese pair making a strong comeback. The decisive third set saw the Indian pair rise to the occasion, taking an early lead in the tie-breaker and maintaining their momentum.
Their eyes are now set on the gold, with the final showdown scheduled for Saturday, September 30.
This victory follows closely on the heels of India's Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni securing a silver in the men's doubles. The pair faced a challenging final against Taiwan's Jason Jung and Yu-hsiou Hsu, eventually succumbing 4-6, 4-6. Their performance was marred by two crucial service breaks and a lacklustre second serve.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
ODI World Cup: Yuvraj Singh picks KL Rahul to bat at No.4 for India and not Shreyas Iyer, provides substantiating explanation
