Butorac/Soares overcome Mertinak/Sa to capture the doubles crown – Brasil Open 2012
Eric Butorac of USA and Bruno Soares of Brazil came back from behind to battle past Slovakian-Brazilian combination of Michal Mertinak and Andre Sa, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8, in the final of Brasil Open in Sao Paulo on Sunday. Butorac
and Soares grabbed victory in an hour and 32 minutes.
The opener started smoothly, with both teams winning their serve in the first six games to take the score to 3-3. Mertinak and Sa broke the Brazilian-American team in the seventh and ninth, sealing the set 6-3.
The fourth seeds, Mertinak and Sa, showed an exceptional performance on the first serves and won all eleven points on them. The Slovakian-Brazilian team grabbed two of the four break opportunities they received in the opener.
Mertinak and Sa were two games away from victory, as the set went with the serves in the first eight to tie the score at 4-4. However, they lost two games in a row, getting broken in the ninth to drop the set 4-6.
Butorac and Soares neither hit any ace nor any double fault in the entire set. The American-Brazilian duo delivered 80 percent of the first serves, clinching 19 of the 24 points on them. Mertinak and Sa were outplayed because
of the offensive second returns by their opponents. They managed to win just two of the five of them in the second set.
The top seeds, Butorac and Soares, claimed a mini-break in the match tie-break to go ahead 9-6. Mertinak and Sa saved a couple of match points but the American-Brazilian combination team succeeded in capitalising the third,
winning it 10-8.
Butorac, who has captured an ATP World Tour title six years in a row now, said, "I'm really happy to win our first title. It's been a good start to the year for our partnership, and hopefully we can continue to improve and
raise our level throughout the year."
Soares added, "It's very nice. We had an amazing week. The atmosphere was great. Having a packed house, with my family watching, makes it a great feeling to win here. I think it comes in a good moment, in my home country.
But now we're going to play bigger tournaments. I think we have the rhythm we need to play well at the larger events."
Last year, Soares partnered his countryman Marcelo Melo and defeated the Spanish duo of Pablo Andujar and Daniel Gimeno-Traver in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final to grab title.
Tags: