Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna bid an emotional farewell to his 21-year-long Davis Cup career on Sunday at the Mini Stadium in Lucknow. In the match that marked his final appearance as a player in the Davis Cup competition, Bopanna partnered with Yuki Bhambri to defeat Morocco’s Elliot Benchetrit and Younes Lalalmi Laaroussi 6-2, 6-1.
“I’m sad to be leaving the Davis Cup team, but also simultaneously proud to have played for such a long time. It’s been a great journey, a great learning experience,” said Bopanna after the match. “It was emotional, especially when I saw my family sitting there,” the 43-year-old added.
Bopanna's performance in the early stages of the match was pivotal taking a first-set lead. The Indian pair finished off the second set in 37 minutes, securing a 2-1 lead in the tie. As Bopanna took his 13th doubles win at the Davis Cup (23rd when including his singles record), the stadium bid farewell to the veteran player.
Recently, Bopanna created history as he became the oldest male finalist in the Open Era at the US Open. He expressed optimism about contributing to the team in a different capacity and about India's future in the Davis Cup.
“I did not think about changing my mind [about ending his Davis Cup career],” said Bopanna. “The feeling is very different when you are playing [at the Davis Cup] and at a Grand Slam. Here, you are representing your country,” he said adding that the younger indian players are matured enough to bring pride to the nation in future.
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