Stockholm Open: Aisam, Bopanna march into final

Indo-Pak Express posts gutsy win after losing first set.

STOCKHOLM:

Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna bounced back from a first-set deficit against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and Argentine Juan Martin del Potro to win their men’s doubles semi-final at the Stockholm Open 2-6, 6-2, 10-8.

The top-seeded Indo-Pak Express struggled with their service games in the opening set, picking up four needless double-faults, as Baghdatis and del Potro dominated.

However, the pair came back strongly in the second set, breaking their opponents twice to level the match at one set apiece.

In a fiercely contested tie-break in the deciding set, Aisam and Bopanna held their nerve during crucial moments of the match and converted their first match-point to seal the victory and go through to the final of the tournament.

Monfils downs Tomic

In the men’s singles event, France’s Gael Monfils stayed in the hunt for a place at the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals, coming from behind in the final set to defeat Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 at the Stockholm Open.

The top seed, and last man standing in the leading four at the Kungligahallen, trailed by a break in the third set before breaking the teenage Australian for 4-all.

He then sealed a 5-4 lead with his 18th ace, reaching the quarter-finals on his third match point.

Two-time finalist Jarkko Nieminen of Finland also eased past third-seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last-eight as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2011.