BOPANNA COULD MISS ROGERS CUP TOO BEFORE ASIAN GAMES

BANGALORE: Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna, who is out of action since Wimbledon, says he may have to pull out of Rogers Cup to let his shoulder heal ahead of the Asian Games. If Bopanna misses it, he will head to the Asian Games without any competitive match since Wimbledon.

Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin’s conceded their men’s doubles second round after the Indian suffered an injury, early this month.

The injury has already forced him to miss at least three ATP World Tour events including the Bastad event, where he had planned to play alongside Divij Sharan, who will be his men’s doubles partner at the Asian Games. “I suffered a minor injury which is healing well. Doctors advised me to take three weeks off. Yesterday, was my first (practice) day. Today, I hit the ball in the afternoon, and on Tuesday I am supposed to serve and see how it is,” Bopanna said on Sunday.

“If I am feeling fit, I will go to Toronto (Rogers Cup). If not, I have to pull out and get ready for Asian Games,” he added.

The Rogers Cup, a Masters Series event, is set to begin in Toronto on August 3-12 while the Asian Games kick start in Indonesia on August 18.

ISNER IN ATLANTA FINAL

NEW YORK: Top seed John Isner reached the Atlanta Open final for the eighth time on Saturday after beating Australian Matthew Ebden 6-4 6-7(6) 6-1 in their semi-final. Isner will meet Ryan Harrison in Sunday’s final after the eighth seed prevailed over Britain’s Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 .