Farah/Giraldo edge past Dodig/Melo into the title match – Credit Agricole Suisse Open 2012
Robert Farah and Santiago Giraldo of Colombia fought back after losing the opener to stun the second seeded team of Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in three sets 3-6, 7-6(5), 10-8 in the semi-finals at the Credit Agricole Suisse Open
in Gstaad, Switzerland on Friday. The Colombians needed one hour and 22 minutes to post this win over their opponents.
Dodig and Melo hit a blow to their rivals in the second game to move ahead 2-0. Both teams exchanged a break in the following two, taking the score to 3-1 in the favour of the Croatian-Brazilian pair. Dodig and Melo maintained
their advantage throughout the set, clinching it 6-3.
Ranked 17th in the world, Dodig and Melo banged in a couple of aces but lost the opportunity by committing the same number of double faults. The Croatian-Brazilian duo converted two of the three break points they received
and saved one of the two they faced in the opener.
Farah and Giraldo struck in the fourth game of the second set and consolidated on it to gain a 4-1 lead. However, Dodig and Melo broke back in the seventh and held his following serve to level the score at 4-4. The score was taken
to 6-6, taking the set to a tie-breaker. Farah and Giraldo got off to a flying start, moving ahead 5-2 and capitalising on it to triumph 7-6(5).
The Colombians fired two aces and 81 percent of the first serves, clinching 22 of the 29 points on them in the second set. In comparison, Dodig and Melo bombarded five aces but they also committed three double faults.
After the match getting tied at one set apiece, it was taken to a super tie-breaker. Dodig and Melo grabbed a 6-3 lead but Farah and Giraldo raised the level of their game afterwards, as they incredibly captured seven of the subsequent
nine points to win 10-8.
Farah and Giraldo neither smacked any ace nor committed a double fault, keeping the first serve percentage at 78 and snatching six of the seven points on them.
The Colombians will play either the tandem of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez or the combination of Thomaz Bellucci and Michael Kohlmann in the final.
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