Olympics 2024: Bopanna-Balaji crash out in the first round

The Indian tennis campaign ended at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji bowing out in the first round of the men’s double against the local French pair of Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

The Indian duo lost the match in straight sets to Monfils-Vasselin by 7-5,6-2 to seal the rain-delayed match that was played on court 14 of the Roland-Garros and roughly 76 minutes on Sunday night.

A subdued start

The Indian pair got off to a slow start, falling behind 2-4 after a service break by the French duo.

They rallied to tie the set at 5-5, demonstrating resilience, but the French duo capitalized on two of their three break-point opportunities, securing a crucial advantage.

The Indian pair struggled with unforced errors, committing 15 throughout the set, hindering their ability to gain momentum. Ultimately, the French duo's break proved decisive, allowing them to win the first set in a closely contested battle.

Little respite in the second set

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with the Indian pair dropping their serve early.

This early setback proved insurmountable for Bopanna and Balaji, as they were unable to break back against the French duo.

Monfils and Vasselin seized control of the match, dominating the second set and securing a comfortable victory by 6-2.

The French pair broke the Indian duo's serve twice, in the fourth and eighth games, ultimately clinching a straight-set win.

Earlier, Sumit Nagal fought hard in a three-set match against the French Corentin Moutet.

The Indian put up a spirited performance but was unable to quell the Frenchman's challenge with the score reading 2-6,6-2,5-7.

These defeats marked the end of India's challenge in the Tennis event and the nation will now have to wait until LA 2028 for a shot at a medal in the sport.