Tel Aviv (Israel): Top seeds Indian-Dutch duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop won their first ATP Tour title as a team when they defeated third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-2, 6-4 in the final of the Tel Aviv Open, here.
“It feels really good of course. You know you’re on the right path and this gives you that extra cherry on top, I feel,” Middelkoop said.
“Not even [winning the title] title, I think the way we played today showed what we are capable of and I think that’s the most important thing for me, what I take out of this day,” he added.
Bopanna and Middelkoop rallied from a set down and clawed through a second-set tie-break to force a Match Tie-break in their first three matches in Israel. But they brought their best tennis in the final, powering through in straight sets to lift the ATP 250 trophy after one hour and 12 minutes.
The Indian-Dutch duo holds a 19-11 record as a team, including 16-10 this year. They also made the Roland Garros semi-finals and the championship match in Hamburg.
Indian Super League to kick off on Oct 7
Mumbai: The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return on October 7 and is poised to be bigger and more exciting than ever. The season will welcome back its 12th Man – the fans, who come back to cheer their teams at the stadiums.
With a productive pre-season, where most Hero ISL teams sent their first teams to participate in the Durand Cup, the clubs are all set to give fans an enthralling experience across the season.
Last season’s champions Hyderabad FC will aim to become the first Hero ISL team to defend their crown successfully, but will have healthy competition to contend with.
Hyderabad will have stiff competition from the likes of ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC, who have all put together strong squads ahead of the new season. Former Bengaluru FC defensive midfielder Erik Paartalu suggested that Mumbai City FC will be a constant threat to all teams this season and predicted that they would go on to win the title.
