India’s veteran tennis ace Leander Paes and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden marched into the final of the Bengaluru Open on Friday with a hard-fought victory over Israeli tennis player Jonathan Erlich-Andrei Vasilevski of Belarus in the doubles semifinal.
Pace, possibly playing their last ATP tournament in India, and Abden of Australia defeated Jonathan Erlich and Andrei Vasilevsky 6-4 3-6 10-7 in the semi-finals.
The Indo-Australian pair of Paes-Ebden did not look in full form but were able to keep a check on their nerves in the nervous moments to sneak through. It was the Aussie who changed gears in the first tiebreaker to bring the Indo-Australian pair at par i.e 2-2. It was Paes who then showed why he is called an Indian legend with a chipped backhand service-return winner to get a 6-5 lead. Paes then went on the seal the game with a couple of awkward kick serves.
The Indo-Australian pair will now lock horns with the all Indian pair of Purav Raja and Ramkumar Ramanathan in the summit clash.
The All Indian pair of Purav Raja and Ramkumar Ramanathan booked the summit clash against the Indo- Australian pair of Paes-Ebden after they were given a walkover by another Indo- Australian pair of Saketh Myneni and Matt Reid. Purav Raja and Ramkumar Ramanathan were handed a walkover as the pair of Saketh Myneni and Matt Reid retired after dropping the first set 5-7.
Earlier, the pair of Paes and Abdon beat the third-seeded pair of ATP tournament champion Andre Goranson of Sweden and Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia 7-5, 0-6, 10-7 to advance in the semi-finals of the Bengaluru Open last week.
Earlier in the singles quarterfinal, Julian Ocleppo of Italy pulled a surprise 7-6(4), 6(3)-7, 6-4 win over Ilya Ivashka of Belarus.
Japanese third seed Yuichi Sugita lost to Benjamin Bonzi of France, who clinched a 6(5)-7, 7-5, 6-4 win.
