Irish Open final:India's Rohan Bopanna left Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club on Saturday as Shelbourne Irish Open champion in singles as well as doubles.
The 27-year-old beat Denmark's Martin Pedersen in straight sets to add to Friday night's success when he partnered Australia's Adam Feeney to victory in the doubles final.
Bopanna, who beat the Irish number two, Conor Niland, in the semi-finals, served 15 aces en route to a trouble-free 6-4, 6-3 triumph over the Dane, who had to come through the qualifying stage of this tournament to reach the main draw.
It was the fourth time in five matches at the tournament that he won without dropping a set.
The only man to take the Indian to three sets was the defending champion, Mischa Zverev, who was beaten by the new champion in the quarter-finals. Zverev, with fellow German Lars Burgsmuller, also lost out to Bopanna in the doubles, going down 6-2, 6-2.
Bopanna picked up a cheque for €6,150 for his singles success, and another €1,325 for his doubles win, as well as 55 ranking points that will see him rise from 289th on the ATP list.
It was, then, some consolation for Bopanna, who a fortnight ago lost 19-17 in the deciding set in the first round of the Wimbledon Qualifying Championships.
It proved to be an encouraging week for the home challenge, Niland's run to the semi-finals the highlight, with Louk Sorensen and Peter Clarke also producing fine form in the $50,000 ATP Challenger event.
James McGee. a 21-year-old Castleknock man who is on a tennis scholarship in North Carolina, showed plenty of promise in his display against the fourth seed, Alun Jones of Australia.
