Hamburg Open: Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji face early exit ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Veteran Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji have encountered a challenging start to their partnership. The Indian duo faced a tough elimination in the Round of 16 at the Hamburg Open on Thursday (July 18), marking a difficult final preparation before the highly anticipated Paris Olympics 2024 at Stade Roland Garros.

Bopanna and Balaji, who were seeded sixth in the tournament, faced the unseeded but home favorites Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner. The Indian pair struggled to find their rhythm and succumbed to a straight-set defeat, losing 1-6, 4-6. This early exit brought an abrupt end to their campaign at the Hamburg Open, also known as the German Cup.

The match statistics revealed the duo's struggles on the court. They managed to score just one ace and experienced difficulties with their serves. The Indian pair dropped serve three times during the match, unable to counter the strong performance of their German opponents in this ATP 500 event.

The Hamburg Open also proved challenging for another Indian pair, Vijay Sundar Prashanth and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. Competing against the second-seeded German duo of Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz, Prashanth and Nedunchezhiyan faced a similar fate, losing in straight sets with the same scoreline of 1-6, 4-6.

Where will Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji play next?

With the Paris Olympics 2024 rapidly approaching, Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji have one more opportunity to fine-tune their partnership. They are set to compete in the Croatia Open, an ATP 250 tournament held in Umag. This final tournament before the Olympics will be crucial for the Indian duo to build synergy and gain momentum.

For Rohan Bopanna, the upcoming Paris Olympics will likely be his last. The veteran tennis star, who has been a mainstay in Indian tennis, will be eager to make a memorable impact and end his Olympic journey on a high note.