Rohan Bopanna sails into Qatar Open semi-finals
Bopanna and doubles partner Wesley Koolhof defeat Stan Wawrinka and Frances Tiafoe in Doha.
Indian doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna and his Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof comprehensively won their quarter final encounter over the Swiss-American duo Stan Wawrinka and Frances Tiafoe to move into the last four at the Qatar Open in Doha.
The third-seeded Bopanna/Koolhof combination had few issues in wrapping up a 6-3, 6-4 triumph at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex.
They will now take on Finland's Henri Kontinen and Franko Skugor of Croatia for a place in the final.
Kontinen and Skugor, the number two seeds, booked their place in the semi-finals by beating the British brothers Neal and Ken Skupski.
Bopanna's boost
After an opening round win over Italian duo Marco Cecchinato and Lorenzo Sonego, this latest triumph will give the veteran Indian tennis star a further boost as he continues his preparations for the upcoming Australian Open.
The 39-year old was hampered by a shoulder injury last year that forced him out of the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan, but now appears untroubled as he builds towards the first Grand Slam of the year.
Bopanna has not yet announced who he will partner with in Melbourne as he looks to add a second Grand Slam trophy.
His first title came at the 2017 French Open, when he won the mixed doubles title, partnering Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski.
He became the fourth Indian to etch his name into the list of Grand Slam winners after Sania Mirza, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.
The Bangalore native has also committed to playing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo - if he can qualify.