Chandigarh (Face2News)
Second seeded Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni moved into the doubles semi-final in the € 45,730 Porto Open in Portugal on Thursday. In a ding-dong quarter-final battle, the Indian pair, down by a set, rallied to dispose of the challenge of Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan and A;obek Kachmazov 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. The match lasted one hour and 33 minutes.
Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni lost the first set. In the second set the Indian pair established a commanding 5-2 lead. However they were broken in the eight game and Isomin and Kachmazov narrowed the score to 3-5 with their serve to follow. Istomin and Kachmazov saved a set point and won the set . They were now trailing by 4-5.
In the 10th game Bhambri/Myneni were leading 40-15 and emerged winners at 6-4 to level the score one-set all.
In the match tie-breaker from 3-3 the second Indian pair kept their cool and led 9-6 (one match point). Istomin and Kachmazov saved two more match points before Bhambri/Myneni wrapped up the match by winning at 10-8.
Wild cards Pedro Araujo and Daniel Rodrigues of Portugal upset fourth seeded Indian pair of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan 3-6 7-5 10-8 in the doubles quarter-final