Asian games 2023: Rohan Bopanna- Rutuja Bhosale win mixed doubles gold in tennis

Rohan Bopanna and Rutuja Bhosale won the gold medal in mixed doubles tennis at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday. It was India’s second medal in tennis at the continental event after Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni had won a silver in men’s doubles on Friday. Bhosale raised her game in nick of time while seasoned Bopanna stayed solid with his big serves as India came from a set down to beat Chinese Taipei’s Tsung-hao Huang and En-shuo Liang 2-6, 6-3, 10-4 in the title clash. India’s two-medal show in tennis is the country’s worst at the Asian Games since the turn of the century. In 2002, India had returned with four medals from Busan and in the following editions the country won four (2006), five (2010), five (2014) and three (2018) medals. No singles player could make it to the medal round with hopes Sumit Nagal and Ankita Raina exiting in the quarter-final stages. The Indian tennis contingent also struggled in other team events with the biggest disappointment being the early exit of medal favourites Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri in the men’s doubles. (with inputs from PTI)