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Chennai Open: Bhupathi-Bjorkman enter semis
Mahesh Bhupathi and Jonas Bjorkman survived a scare from Michal Tabara and Santiago Ventura to storm into the doubles semi-final of the Chennai Open.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:48 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Chennai:
The top seeded combine of Mahesh Bhupathi and Jonas Bjorkman survived a scare from unseeded duo of Michal Tabara and Santiago Ventura to storm into the doubles semi-final of the Chennai Open. Rallying from a set down, the experienced pair of Bhupathi and Bjorkman kept their cool at vital moments to take the next two sets and clinch the match at 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Despite their top seed billing, Bhupathi and his partner were forced to play, perhaps being under pressure, second fiddle to Tabara of Czech Repulic and Ventura of Spain. Tabara, who booked his place in the single's quarterfinals earlier in the day, showed more aggression as the duo took the first set. The decider saw Bhupathi conceding a break in the third game, making a couple of backhand errors. Fighting back But in an instant fightback, the Indo-Swede pair broke Ventura's serve in the very next game, with Bhupathi playing the role of aggressor. Keeping up the momentum, they broke Tabara's serve in the sixth game to go up 5-2. Bjorkman, serving for the match, trailed 15-40, but scored the next two points, using his forehand to find the vacuum spot. However, he allowed the rivals to break him, hitting a backhand into the net. After being on the receiving end in the ninth game, Bjorkman perhaps could not withstand the heat after a loss in a tough singles match earlier in the evening to Justin Gimblestob and sought on-court medical aid after the game for a back pull. It was a sheer coincidence when Tabara served in the 10th game that saw Bhupathi having the advantage of playing behind. He settled the issue beyond doubt, scoring two successive winners and claimed the match when Tabara failed to reach a Bhupathi lob. In earlier matches, the Amritraj cousins, Prakash and Stephen, lost to Karsten Braasch (Germany) and Robert Lidstedt (Sweden) 2-6, 7-5, 4-6. Keven Kim (USA) and Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) and Jan-Michael Gtambill (USA) 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4. (PTI)Topics mentioned in this article
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