(MOREPIC1) ANTWERP: Down by a set, second seeded pair of Indian Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop of Netherlands staged a remarkable rally to down Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen of Belgium by 3-5, 7-6 (5), 10-4 in the doubles first round in the €725,540 in the European Open in Antwerp.
Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen began the first set with a bang by winning the first game at love and then broke serve of Bopanna and Middelkoop in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Then the Belgium duo held their serve to make it 3-0. They went on to grab the set at 6-3 in 27 minutes.
Bopanna and Middelkoop played a consistent game in the evenly-contested second set which they clinched at 7-6 (5) in 51 minutes.
Tied one-set all, Bopanna and Middelkoop maintained their pressure in the match tie-breaker set at 10-4 in 12 minutes. Bopanna and Middelkoop established a commanding 7-0 lead before their opponents opened their account to narrow the lead to 1-7, 2-2, 2-8, 2-9. They managed to save three match points before Bopanna and Middelkoop wrapped up the match at 10-4.
Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen served 11 aces and committed three doubles faults. They saved the solitary breakpoint.
Bopanna and Middelkoop served two aces and committed one double fault. They saved one of the two breakpoints that came their way.
YUKI/SAKETH PAIR WIN: Top seeded Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni ousted wild cards Korean pair of Cheong-Eui Kim and Ji Hoon Son in straight sets 6-3 6-2 in the doubles first round of the the $ 159,360 Busan Open , Korea. The match lasted 72 minutes.
Yuki and Saketh served half a dozen aces and committed five double faults. They saved three out of three breakpoints.
Kin and Son committed four double faults and saved two out of five breakpoints.
Qualifier Mukund Sasikumar of India was beaten by Australian Christopher O'Connell 6-4 6-2 in the singles first round outing.
SUMIT UPSETS THIRD SEED: In the singles first round match qualifier Sumit Nagal of India beat third seed Daniel Altmaier 6-2, 7-6 (7) in the $52,120 Coquimbo Challenger in Chile.
