Bryans derail Indo-Pak Express to reach the semi-finals in Men’s Doubles – French Open 2011
World number 1 and top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan of USA battled past “Indo-Pak Express” Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi in three sets 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(3) in the quarterfinals of French Open as play resumed on Day 11
(June 2nd) at Roland Garros in Paris. It took the Americans two hours and seven minutes to oust their opponents in a marathon match.
Bryans took the early lead as they broke Bopanna and Qureshi in the third game and held their next service game to take a 3-1 lead. The Indo-Pak duo broke back in the eighth game, levelling the score at 4-4. The next four games
went with the serve, taking the set to a tie-break. Bopanna and Qureshi thrashed their opponents in the tie-break, winning it 7-2.
The Indo-Pak team delivered four aces and 67 percent of the first serves in the opening set, grabbing 81 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, Bryans had a first serve percentage of 63 percent, winning 81 percent of
the points on the first serve. Both pairs converted one of the two break points they received in the first set.
Bopanna and Qureshi were looking solid as they broke the Americans in the opening game of the second set and consolidated on it to go ahead 2-0. However, Bryans fought back and clinched five consecutive games after that, breaking
the Indo-Pak Express in the fourth and sixth game to take a 5-2 lead. The Americans served out the set at 5-3.
Big serving Bryans were not serving to their potential as they managed to hit just a single ace and 55 percent if the first serves, claiming 81 percent of the points on them in the second set. However, the American’s attacking
service returns did the job for them as they won a whopping 48 percent of the receiving points in the second set. Bryans saved one of the two break points they faced and converted two of the six break points they received on their opponents’ serve in the second
set.
With winning momentum on their side, Bryans broke Bopanna and Qureshi in the third game of the final set and held their serve in the next game to take a 3-1 lead. The fifth seeds came back, breaking the Americans in the sixth game
to tie the score at 3-3. Booth pair held their serve in the next six games, taking the set to a tie-break. Bryans won last four points in the tie-break, sealing it 7-3. The Americans bagged a total of 44 points compared to 34 points by their opponents in the
third set.
Bryan twins will meet Colombian/Argentinean team of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Eduardo Schwank in the semi-finals.
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