Benneteau/Mahut surprise Fyrstenberg/Matkowski to enter the semis – BNP Paribas Masters 2011
Rated at number 62 in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Team Rankings, the French duo of Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut continued their dream run at the BNP Paribas Masters, outplaying the ninth ranked Pole
team of Mariusz Furstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the quarter-final clash on Friday night.
The French duo battled out for one hour and fifteen minutes of play to overcome the sixth seeded pair in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7, booking a berth in the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
It was just the 5th victory for Benneteau and Mahut in the current year and a much needed one as well. The French pair has already defeated Fyrstenberg and Matkowski in a doubles encounter at the Roland Garros this year
and now leads 2-0 against the ninth ranked team in the world. Benneteau and Mahut stunned everyone when they outplayed the world number one duo of the Bryan Brothers of the United States in the second round clash. They carried on the winning impetus in the
quarter-final draw as well and dumped the sixth seeded Pole team to get one step closer to the title shot in Paris.
The remained evenly poised till the last minute, with a couple of momentum swings in the earlier sets. Benneteau and Mahut were off to a flyer in the opening set, nailing two cracking breaks of serve right up to rocket away to
5-1 in no time. They clinched 12 out of 13 points on their first serve to close out the first set at 6-2, getting one up in the match.
A steady start was seen in the following set with no serve breaks in the first seven games. Fyrstenberg and Matkowski finally registered their first break point of the day in the eighth game and then served out of the second set
at 6-3 to enforce a third one. The decider also went to the wire before Benneteau and Mahut took the momentum in their hands once again to conclude their emphatic victory at 10-7.
Benneteau and Mahut will face the other surprise semi-finalists, Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Christopher Kas of Germany, in the next battle on Saturday evening to fight for a place in the finals of the Paris Masters. Gonzalez
and Kas stood victorious against the unseeded Brazilin duo of Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-3, in the quarter-final round earlier this week.
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