Bhupathi/Paes, Bopanna/Qureshi proceed to the last eight – Western & Southern Open 2011
Bhupathi/Paes defeat Lopez/Nadal 6-4, 6-2
“Indian Express” Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes dismissed Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal of Spain in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in the second round at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Thursday. The Indians took just an
hour and ten minutes to beat their opponents in a one-sided contest.
Bhupathi/Paes and the Spaniards held their serve in the first eight games of the opening set, levelling the score at 4-4. The Indians broke Lopez and Nadal in the ninth game and consolidated on it to seal the set 6-4. The third
seeds delivered one ace and 58 percent of the first serves, claiming fourteen of the eighteen first service points. Bhupathi and Paes capitalised on one of the four break points they received on Lopez and Nadal’s serve in the first set.
The Indians took an early lead in the second set, breaking the Spanish team in the opening game and holding their serve in the next game to go up 2-0. The right-handers claimed second break of serve in the seventh game and served
out the set at 5-2.
Bhupathi and Paes are slated to face singles specialists Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.
Bopanna/Qureshi beat Chela/Monaco 6-3, 5-7, 10-4
Joining Indian Express in the last eight, “Indo-Pak Express” Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi bounced back after losing the second set to overcome Juan Ignacio-Chela and Juan Monaco 6-3, 5-7, 10-4 in the round of 16. The
match lasted for an hour and sixteen minutes.
Bopanna and Qureshi started the match strongly, breaking the Argentineans in the sixth game and winning their serve in the next game to build a 5-2 lead. The Indo-Pak Express served out the set at 5-3. The fifth seeds hit three
aces and sealed a whopping sixteen of the nineteen first service points in the opening set.
Chela and Monaco bounced back in style as they broke the Ind0-Pak duo in the fourth game of the second set and consolidated on it, claiming a 4-1 lead. Bopanna and Qureshi broke back in the seventh game and held their next service
game to tie the score at 4-4. The Argentineans broke again in the twelfth game to grab the set 7-5.
The Indo-Pak combination dominated the match tie-break from its beginning, claiming three mini-breaks to take an 8-3 lead. The right-handers capitalised on the lead to clinch the match tie-break 10-4.
Bopanna and Qureshi will play Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in the quarterfinals.
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