Veteran Indian doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna and Japan’s Takeru Yuzuki produced a stunning upset to enter the Japan Open final, defeating top-seeded Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King in a dramatic semifinal clash on Monday.
Marathon Victory in Semifinal
The Indo-Japanese wildcard pair showed resilience after losing the opening set 4-6. They bounced back with a 6-3 win in the second before edging a tense super tie-break 18-16, saving three match points along the way. The Ariake Coliseum crowd was treated to one of the most gripping contests of the tournament.
Road to the Final
Bopanna and Yuzuki started their campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Casper Ruud and Jordan Thompson. In the quarterfinals, they outlasted third seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in two tie-break sets, 7-6(5), 7-6(4).
Clash for the Title
The duo will now face the second-seeded pairing of Hugo Nys (Monaco) and Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France) in Tuesday’s final. For Bopanna, 45, who lifted the Australian Open doubles title in 2024, this Tokyo run has been one of the highlights of his 2025 season.
Veteran Meets Rising Star
Partnering with 27-year-old Yuzuki for his home tournament, Bopanna has once again shown his ability to mentor and elevate emerging talent while staying competitive on the ATP Tour.
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