Opera 9.7 build 35461:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MM4KK7SD
Just tested this out from xda, and it seems so far that you can actually use the zoom bar on the device without doing anything except sliding your finger across.
Previous version I had to launch the zoom function then zoom. Automatically does it on my TP2 for Sprint.
Give it a try and report back if you would like.
Hope you find this version helpful