Mirnyi/Nestor edge past Llodra/Zimonjic into the final – Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 2012
Second seeds, Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor, advanced to the title match after beating Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 in the semi-final at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco on Saturday.
Mirnyi and Nestor took lead from the beginning, as they broke the French-Serbian duo in the very first game of the match and consolidated on it to attain a 2-0 advantage. They maintained that until 4-2 but then lost four games
in a row to go down 4-6.
Llodra and Zimonjic smacked a couple of aces and 63 percent of the first serves, winning 14 of the 17 points on them. The French-Serbian tandem’s strength was their second returns, as they clinched 11 of the 13 points on them in
the opener.
Mirnyi and Nestor snatched a break in the third game of the second set and held their following serve, taking a 3-1 lead. The Belarusian-Canadian pair did not let it away this time, grabbing it 6-4.
Ranked second in the world, Mirnyi and Nestor hit one ace and two double faults. They put in 64 percent of the first serves, converting 16 of the 18 of them into points. The French-Serbian combination avoided the only break threat
they faced and availed one of the seven chances they created in the second set.
Mirnyi and Nestor started the match tie-breaker splendidly, as they hit some aggressive shots to build a 4-0 lead. The Belarusian-Canadian team maintained their advantage in the remaining match, capturing it 10-5.
The right and left hand combination kept their first serve percentage at 75, pocketing five of the six points on them in the match tie-breaker. They won three of the four points with the help of their accurate second returns.
Mirnyi and Nestor took one hour and 20 minutes to beat their opponents in a tough match.
Nestor said, talking to the media people after the match, “We played a good match after losing the first set. Those guys are a good team and serve really well. We lifted our game after the first set and played a very good tie-breaker.”
The Canadian added, “It's great to be in another final here. It would be great to win one with Max. It's always special to play against a team with Nenad on it.”
Mirnyi and Nestor are slated to face top seeds, Bob and Mike Bryan, in the title match. They outplayed Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in the semi-final.
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