ATP Finals: Bopanna-Ebden go down against Arevalo-Pavic in second group stage match

The Indo-Australian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden faced their second consecutive defeat in the ATP Finals. The pair, playing their last event together, opened their campaign in Turin with a straight-sets defeat against the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. The first match at the home of their opponents wrapped up in a mere 57 minutes as Bopanna-Ebden lost 6-2, 6-3. Interestingly, the Indian-Australian duo had beaten the same Italian pair to clinch the Australian Open title at the start of this season. Hopes of Bopanna and Ebden getting back on track in Turin were dashed further as the top-seeded Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic beat them 7-5, 6-3 on Wednesday.

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden lose their second group stage match at the ATP Finals in Turin

After the straight-sets defeat in their second group-stage match, the Bopanna-Ebden pair now sits at the bottom of the Bob Bryan Group. The El Salvador-Croatia duo overcame a slow start to claim a crucial win at the Nitto ATP Finals, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the knockout rounds. The match lasted a little over an hour as the top-seeded pair didn't provide a chance for Bopanna and Ebden to work their way back into the game. Arevalo and Pavic, eager to come back into the equation after opening their campaign with a defeat, won 15 consecutive points to dominate Bopanna and Ebden.

In the opening set, Bopanna and Ebden had the upper hand with an early break lead but were unable to maintain their advantage. A nervy 12th game from Ebden, marked by back-to-back double faults, handed Arevalo and Pavic the set. From that point, the top seeds seized control, dominating on their first serve and holding off a late challenge from Bopanna and Ebden. According to the stats, Arevalo and Pavic won nine of the last 12 points on their first serve, securing a vital win in their campaign.

With the 7-5, 6-3 victory against the Indo-Australian pair, Arevalo and Pavic now hold a 1-1 record in the Bob Bryan Group. Next up, the duo will face the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in their final round-robin match. The Salvadoran-Croatian partnership is striving to become the first top-seeded team to win the event since the Bryan brothers in 2014. Bopanna and Ebden, on the other hand, are now 0-2 in the group stage. They will face Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in their final group-stage match. Krawietz and Puetz had stunned the top-seeded duo in the ATP Finals opener in Turin.