Granollers/Zeballos Reign In Shanghai

AFP/Getty Images

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos captured their fifth ATP Masters 1000 title together and first of the season on Sunday when they overcame fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The seventh seeds did not drop a set en route to the final, but were made to work hard by Bopanna and Ebden, who were chasing their third trophy of the season as a team.

After dropping serve in the 12th game of the first set to lose the opener, Granollers and Zeballos responded by racing into a 4-0 lead in the second set. They won 53 per cent (8/15) of points on Bopanna and Ebden’s first serves in the set to level before converting on their third championship point in the Match Tie-break to triumph after 84 minutes.

"We were playing against a great team," Zeballos said. "They were serving very well, doing great stuff but I think the most important thing was to stay confident and keep talking. At the end we were playing really good tennis."

With their 33rd win of the season, the Spanish-Argentine tandem has consolidated its position in fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Granollers and Zeballos are aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

"We have been working really hard this year to finally get that trophy," Granollers said. We played great all week and have been for the past months. Everything came together."

They have now won five Masters 1000 titles, also triumphing in Montreal (2019), Rome (2020), Madrid (2021) and Cincinnati (2021). Sunday’s victory was their eighth title together and first since Halle in 2022.

Bopanna and Ebden are 32-17 in their first season together and stamped their ticket for the Nitto ATP Finals by reaching the final in Shanghai.