Australia's Matthew Ebden and India's Rohan Bopanna have won the Australian Open men's doubles title with a comfortable victory at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday night.
The experienced second seeded duo never really looked troubled as they won 7-6(0) 7-5 in one hour, 39 minutes against their unseeded Italian opponents.
It means Ebden and 43-year-old Bopanna will become the world's no.1 doubles team after the result.
There was no breaks of serve in the first set but Bopanna and Ebden stepped up in the tiebreaker, winning every point to clinch the first set.
Games remained on serve until the 11th game of the second set and Ebden served out the championship the following game.
The Sporting News followed the Australian Open men's doubles final live, providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as it happened.
Bopanna/Ebden vs. Bolelli/Vavassori final score
| Set 1 | Set 2 | |
|
Bolelli (ITA)/Vavassori (ITA) |
6(0) | 5 |
|
[2] Bopanna (IND)/Ebden (AUS) |
7(7) | 7 |
*Denotes server
Bopanna/Ebden vs. Bolelli/Vavassori score, updates, highlights and commentary
*Denotes server
GAME, SET CHAMPIONSHIP BOPANNA/EBDEN - Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 5-7 Bopanna/Ebden*
An unreturned serve to start. 15-0. Double fault. 15-15. Ebden makes the forehand winner down the line. 30-15. Bopanna makes the volley winner. 40-15. Two championship points for Bopanna/Ebden. Bopanna makes the smash and he and Ebden are Australian Open champions
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 5-6 Bopanna/Ebden
Bopanna bunts a clean winner straight through Bolelli at the net. 0-15. Bolelli volleys into the net. 0-30. Big chance here for the second seeds. Double fault. Three break points for Bopanna/Ebden. Ebden makes the volley and that's the first break. Ebden will serve for the championship.
Bolelli/Vavassori 6-7(0) 5-5 Bopanna/Ebden*
Vavassori executes the smash and it's an early point for the Italians. 0-15. Vavassori makes an unforced error into the net. 15-15. Ebden wins the net exchange with Vavassori. 30-15. Unreturned serve. 40-15. Bopanna hooks a forehand long. 40-30. Ebden makes the easy put away and it's a hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 5-4 Bopanna/Ebden
The Italians lob goes too long. 0-15. Ebden sprays his return wide. 15-15. Bolelli hits the line with an incredible volley. 30-15. Bopanna goes too early and a winner is hit by the Italians. 40-15. Ebden hits long and it's a hold. Still no breaks in this match.
Bolelli/Vavassori 6-7(0) 4-4 Bopanna/Ebden*
Ebden serves an ace with his second delivery. 15-0. Ebden makes the smash from the baseline straight down the middle for a winner. 30-0. Bolelli hits a clean backhand winner off the first serve. 30-15. Ebden hits wide and a bit of pressure on the second seeds. 30-30. Ebden forces the error with a line drive that can't be returned. Big point. 40-30. Unreturned serve. Ebden holds.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 4-3 Bopanna/Ebden
Bolelli makes an excellent volley at the net. 15-0. Ebden sprays an off-forehand wide. 30-0. Bolelli volleys wide. 30-15. Ebden nets his return of serve. 40-15. Vavassori hooks the forehand well wide. 40-30. Ebden makes a clean backhand winner down the line on the return. Deuce. Vavassori delivers an ace down the T. Adv Italians. Ebden nets and they hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori 6-7(0) 3-3 Bopanna/Ebden*
Bopanna starts with a double fault. 0-15. But then butters up with an ace down the middle. 15-15. Ebden wins a net duel with Bolelli. 30-15. Ebden makes the smash for a winner. 40-15. Bopanna makes a great winner into the space. Game.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 3-2 Bopanna/Ebden
Vavassori makes the smash at the net. 15-0. And another excellent volley from Vavassori. 30-0. Bopanna hits the return long. 40-0. Bopanna hits the ball at Vavassori and wins the point. 40-15. Bopanna puts the lob wide and the Italians hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori 6-7(0) 2-2 Bopanna/Ebden*
Ebden starts with an ace. 15-0. And another. 30-0. Double fault. 30-15. An unreturned serve. 40-15. The Italians hit the return long. Game for Ebden and Bopanna.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 2-1 Bopanna/Ebden
Bopanna nets Vavassori's serve. 15-0. Bolelli cuts off the angle and make an excellent volley winner. 30-0. Vavassori nets after the return comes to him. 30-15. Bolelli puts away the return of serve. 40-15. Double fault. 40-30. Ebden nets going crosscourt and the Italians hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori 6-7(0) 1-1 Bopanna/Ebden*
Bopanna serves an ace. 15-0. Ebden makes an excellent volley which the Italians can't get back. 30-0. Vavassori hits the serve long. 40-0. Bopanna hits well wide. 40-15. Bolelli's return just goes long. Game to Bopanna and Ebden.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-7(0) 1-0 Bopanna/Ebden
The Italians make the volley to get the first point. 15-0. Another volley winner for the unseeded pair. 30-0. Bopanna hits too long. 40-0. Ebden makes a winner down the line. 40-15. Bopanna nets and the Italians hold to start the game.
Bopanna /Ebden wins the first set - 7-6
Tiebreak: Bolelli/Vavassori 0-7 Bopanna/Ebden
Bopanna with two massive points to start after he follows up a strong serve with a lovely, angled volley at the net. 2-0. The Indian then crafts another great point by lobbing before smashing a forehand that the Bolelli can only net. The more experienced pair are racing away with it as the Italians go long at the baseline. 6-0. They swap ends and close out the tiebreak with a 7-0 result.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 6-6 Bopanna/Ebden
Bopanna goes long from the baseline. 15-0. A strong serve from Vavassori is then netted by Ebden. The Italians make an easy hold to love as the first set enters into a tiebreak with both pairs winning 37 points across the first 12 games.
Bolelli/Vavassori 5-6 Bopanna/Ebden*
Bopanna somehow returns at the net during a rally but there's no reply from Bolelli's smashed forehand winner that splits the Aussie and Indian in half. He then slams an Ebden serve down the line. 15-30. Vavassori nets one to level things up. Ebden and Bopanna hadn't faced a break point in the match, but the Italians finally earn one when Bopanna volleys one into the net. Strong serve from Ebden out wide brings it back to deuce. The Aussie then follows up his serve with three consecutive shots to outpoint Bolelli. But the first double fault of the match brings it back to deuce. In the most tightly fought game so far, Bopanna and Ebden eventually manage to hold with the Aussie dishing up a second serve ace to finish.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 5-5 Bopanna/Ebden
Ebden's backhand jams Vavassori up at the centre of the net before Bopanna cuts off a forehand at the net to grab a lead. Ebden then goes long on a forehand. 15-30. Two quick points follow from the Italians to flip the script. 40-30. Vavassori smashes an overhead to complete the turnaround.
Bolelli/Vavassori 4-5 Bopanna/Ebden*
Bopanna's second serve is enough to beat Bolelli on the baseline and then Ebden claims the second point. Strong serve from the Indian and it's 40-0. Vavassori sends a crisp backhand return down the line to get on the board. Bopanna responds with an ace down the T.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 4-4 Bopanna/Ebden
Vavassori tips one at the net to claim the first point before he produces a big serve that is returned too long. 30-0. Another serve into Bopanna's body before Bolelli smashes an overhead past him.
Bolelli/Vavassori 3-4 Bopanna/Ebden*
Bolelli slams one into the net before Ebden cheekily lobs one over the head of the Italians who both came in too close and got caught out. 30-0. Ebden then serves it out as the Aussie and Indian have yet to really be tested on their service games.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 3-3 Bopanna/Ebden
Bolelli with a brilliant forehand that he whips into no man's land before some nice work at the net from Vavassori wrong foots Bopanna. The Indian lobs one up for Bolelli but he smashes it wide. 30-15. The Italians then grab the next two points to keep it on serve.
Bolelli/Vavassori 2-3 Bopanna/Ebden*
Ebden lets one fly past him and it's the wrong call as the ball easily lands in. 0-15. Ebden smashes a Bolelli forehand back with interest near the net. From there, Bopanna and Ebden combine before the Indian cracks an ace to round out the game.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 2-2 Bopanna/Ebden
Vavassori with a quality first serve. Then another to race into a 30-0 lead. Bopanna strikes a low return on the serve and Vavassori nets on the follow up. Then an overhead miss from the Italian after a looping shot from Ebden. 30-30. Bopanna rips two flat backhanders in a row with the final one clipping the net and forcing Vavassori to net to bring up break point. The Italians do well to save it though. Bopanna sends a forehand into the net and Bolelli and Vavassori make a tough hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori 1-2 Bopanna/Ebden*
Ebden rips one too long with a forehand. 0-15. But he then makes amends with a strong serve into the body that can't be returned. An overhead volley beats Vavassori in the corner and it's another easy hold.
Bolelli/Vavassori* 1-1 Bopanna/Ebden
Forehand winner down the line from Ebden to bring it to 15-15. A volley at the net from Bopanna to then bring it to 30-30 before Bolelli goes long to bring up break point. Bopanna goes long to bring to deuce. The Italians then serve it out to hold.
Bolelli /Vavassori 0-1 Bopanna/Ebden*
Easy first service game to start for Bopanna and Ebden as they hold to love.
Start
Bopanna and Ebden to serve first.
9:45pm: The players are now out on court completing their warm-ups.
9:35pm: Sabalenka still soaking up all the adulation from the crowd as she completes a lap around the court.
9:10pm (AEDT): Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' coverage of the men's doubles final. The game isn't far away from starting after Aryna Sabalenka defended her Australian Open crown in the game before on Rod Laver Arena.
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How to watch Bopanna/Ebden vs. Bolelli/Vavassori: TV channel, live stream
The men's doubles final is set to begin directly after the women's singles final on Saturday, January 27.
Here's a breakdown of the TV channels and live streams showing the match in the major territories around the world:
| Country | TV Channel | Live Stream |
| USA | ESPN, Tennis Channel | Fubo , ESPN+ |
| Canada | RDS, TSN | TSN Direct |
| UK | Eurosport | discovery+ |
| Australia | Channel Nine | Stan Sport |
