CINCINNATI: Third seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes staged a brilliant comeback to shock top seeds and defending champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan and reach the final of the Western and Southern Open.
The Indian Express was down by a set and break in the second set but went on to record a 1-6, 7-6(2), 10-7 win in the semifinals.
This was Paes and Bhupathi’s first win in three meetings against the Bryan brothers this season, after falling to the world number one pair in the Australian Open and AEGON Championships finals.
Paes and Bhupathi will take on Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in the summit clash as they gun for their third title of the season.
They had won the titles at Sony Ericsson Open and Chennai Open.
Djokovic vs Murray
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on No. 4 Andy Murray for the Cincinnati Open title, Djokovic advancing in an abbreviated semifinal as Murray had to battle his way through on Saturday.
Murray held off top American Mardy Fish 6-3, 7-6 (10/8), while Djokovic had just taken his opening set against Tomas Berdych 7-5 when the eighth-seeded Czech retired with a right shoulder injury.
Berdych had said he wasn’t at full strength after his quarterfinal upset of two-time defending champion Roger Federer.
Djokovic claimed his 57th match victory of the season, with just one defeat. On Sunday he’ll be gunning for his 10th title of 2011 and a sixth prestigious Masters title.
Murray, meanwhile, will be seeking just his second title of the season, after his triumph on the grass courts of Queen’s Club in June.
The Scotsman cruised through the first set against Fish, but then found himself in a battle in the hot, humid weather.
Murray, who was bounced in his opening match at the Montreal Masters last week, held on to win in 2hrs 18min — capturing the tiebreaker after the two had exchanged six service breaks in the second set.
He seemed to be feeling the effects of the physical encounter as he massaged the back of first one left leg and then the other, while Fish appeared to be favouring a sore heel that has bothered him earlier this season.
“I was struggling physically in the second set, it was hot but that’s not an excuse,’ said Murray.
After the rash of service breaks, Fish fended off a triple break point in the 11th game of the second set.
Murray then saved two in the 12th game to force the tiebreaker, in which Fish had a chance to claim the set before Murray captured the match on his third match point. (Agencies)