Bopanna-Ebden clinch Miami Open title, return to world No. 1 ranking
Miami (US) (PTI): Ace Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna rewrote his own record to continue to be the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion as he and his Australian partner Matt Ebden clinched the men's doubles crown at the Miami Open here.
Continuing their fine run this year, the 44-year-old Bopanna and Ebden fought back from a set down to pull off an exhilarating 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-6 win over Crotia's Ivan Dodig and American Austin Krajicek at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
With the win, Bopanna surpassed his record created last year when he won the Indian Wells title at the age of 43, and also reclaimed the top spot in the doubles ranking.
"It's amazing. As long as you are doing well in these big events, it's what we play for," Bopanna said after the win.
"I want to do well in the Masters 1000s and the Grand Slams. It's good to keep that record going and keep giving everyone else a run for their money," added Bopanna, who won his maiden doubles Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year.
This was Bopanna's 14th ATP Masters 1000 final. Overall, it was the veteran Indian player's 63rd ATP Tour level final and 26th doubles title.
Bopanna also achieved a rare feat as he became the second Indian after Leander Paes to reach the final of all nine ATP Masters events.
Bopanna and Ebden, the top seeds for the tournament, tapped into their deep reservoir of experience to fetch the final six points of the summit clash. They had three set points on serve at 6-5 in the opening set but their second-seeded opponents warded off all three to force a tiebreaker before taking a 1-0 lead.
"It's tough. These guys, they fight back in tough moments," said Ebden.
"Last time we played them it was similar, it's a bit of a see-saw. They return so well, make so many balls and we missed one or two shots when we were up [at the end of] the first set. They played a great tie-break, and then we just reset."
Bopanna and Ebden then staged a comeback as they broke their opponent early in the second set which helped them level the game.
Like the opening two sets, the tiebreaker was also fought on an even keel with the reigning Australian Open champions emerging victorious.
Following the Australian Open triumph, Bopanna climbed to the world No.1 spot in the ATP rankings, becoming the oldest player to do so. But slipped to the second spot in the doubles rankings after a quarterfinal loss at the Dubai Championships and a round-of-32 exit at the Indian Wells Masters.
But with the win here, the pair will be back to the top spot.
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No need for panic, HMPV not as transmissible as Covid: Karnataka govt
Bengaluru, Jan 6: Following the detection of two Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases in the state, the Karnataka government on Monday urged people not to panic as the virus is not as transmissible as Covid-19.
Emphasising that the respiratory virus primarily affects children, causing infections similar to the common cold, the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) said in a release that hospitals have been instructed to report influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases.
To prevent escalation of the spread of the virus, people are advised to cover their mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, wash hands frequently with soap, avoid public places if symptomatic and close contact with sick persons.
The advisory also advised people not to reuse tissue papers or handkerchiefs, share towels and linen and avoid spitting in public places.
According to DME, HMPV causes flu-like symptoms including cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, it can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia, especially in young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
The virus spreads through respiratory droplets, close personal contact, and touching surfaces contaminated with the virus followed by touching the mouth, nose, or eyes, it said.
There is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for HMPV. Management focuses on alleviating symptoms with supportive care like rest, hydration, and over-the-counter medications for pain, fever, and congestion. Severe cases might require hospitalisation for oxygen therapy or IV fluids, it added.
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ 8 ತಿಂಗಳ ಮಗು ಹ್ಯೂಮನ್ ಮೆಟಾಪ್ನ್ಯೂಮೋ ವೈರಸ್ (ಎಚ್ಎಂಪಿವಿ) ಸೋಂಕಿಗೆ ಒಳಗಾಗಿರುವ ವರದಿಗಳಿವೆ. ಆದರೆ, ಇದು ಹೊಸ ವೈರಸ್ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಮಗು ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಸ್ಥಿರವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಆತಂಕ ಪಡುವ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ.
— Dinesh Gundu Rao/ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) January 6, 2025
2001ರಿಂದ ಎಚ್ಎಂಪಿವಿ ವೈರಾಣು ಕಾಣಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಈ ಕುರಿತು ಗಾಬರಿಯಾಗುವ ಅವಶ್ಯಕತೆಯಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೂ, ಮುನ್ನೆಚ್ಚರಿಕೆಯಾಗಿ… pic.twitter.com/8EH7KNObV6
