Isner/ Querrey upset Bopanna/ Qureshi in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open
John Isner and Sam Querrey of USA came back from a set down to battle past the Indo-Pak Express, Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, in three sets 6-7(6), 6-4, 10-3 in the quarterfinals of Mutua Madrid Open at the La Caja Mágica in Madrid on Friday. Isner and Querrey needed an hour and 31 minutes to oust their opponents in a tough match.
None of the two pairs managed to break other’s serve in the first ten games of the opening set, levelling the score at 6-6 to force a tie-break. Bopanna and Qureshi claimed a late mini-break in the tie-break, winning it 8-6.
The Indo-Pak Express served pretty well as they fired five aces and 76 percent of the first serves in the opening set, winning 82 percent of the points on them. Isner and Querrey matched their opponents with five aces but their first serve percentage was lower as they delivered 66 percent of the first serves in the opening set. The American duo bagged 88 percent of the first service points in the first set. Isner and Querrey succeeded in saving the only break point they faced in the opening set.
In the second set, both teams held their serve in the first six games to tie the score at 3-3. Isner and Querrey broke the Indo-Pak Express in the seventh game and consolidated on the single break of serve to grab the set 6-4.
Isner and Querrey kept their first serve percentage at 72 percent and won 83 percent of the points on their first serve in the second set. In comparison, Bopanna and Qureshi delivered four aces and 66 percent of the first serves, converting 79 percent of them into points in the second set. The Indo-Pak team saved two of the three break points they faced in the second set.
The American team thrashed Bopanna and Qureshi in the match tie-break, dropping just three points to win it 10-3. Isner and Querrey amazingly hit 100 percent of the first serves in the match tie-break, capturing an incredible 100 percent of the points on them.
This is Isner and Querrey’s second appearance at the Mutua Madrid Open. The American pair reached the round of 16 last year, beating Thomaz Bellucci and Bruno Soares of Brazil in three sets 2-6, 7-5, 10-8 in the first round. However, Isner and Querrey could not go past the second round as they lost to Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach 0-6, 6-3, 4-5.
The American team is slated to play their countrymen Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the semi-finals. The world number 1 pair defeated the Polish duo of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
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