Ready for Aus Open: Bopanna

Rohan Bopanna has every reason to feel “well prepared” going into the Australian Open. The doubles star enjoyed a superb week at the Sydney International where he reached the final before winning back his place in the Indian Davis Cup squad after an absence of almost two years. 

When he was slugging it out with Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi against eventual champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, AITA’s national selection panel in Mumbai was discussing the squad to take on Chinese Taipei in Indore from January 31.

Bopanna lost the final but hours later he was back in the Indian side and will now be the senior-most member of the team.

His 17th final appearance in the very demanding ATP tour made him confident enough to think about winning his first Grand Slam title.

“It’s great to go into a Grand Slam feeling confident. It’s definitely been the first time I have been so well prepared, so hoping this Grand Slam will do good for us and we are confident as a team,” Bopanna told PTI from Sydney.

The AITA had shut the door by banning him and Mahesh Bhupathi on disciplinary grounds in 2012 but Bopanna continued his ascendancy and went on to touch a career-high ranking of number three in the world, only behind the great Bryan brothers, last year.

While serving the ban, Bopanna missed three Davis Cup ties – against New Zealand, Korea and Indonesia.

So what this comeback means to Bopanna, having missed a rare home Davis Cup tie in between? 

“I did miss playing in my home city (Bangalore), but I am sure that the opportunity will arise again one day, and I look forward to it.”