Knowles & Nestor Claw to First Win
© Getty Images Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor fought off two second-set match points - with back-to-back Nestor aces - before rallying to beat Wimbledon champions Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 2-6, 7-5, 10-5 (Match TB) in their first match of Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai Monday. Later, Aspelin and Knowle play Dlouhy/Vizner.
Playing together for the first time since ending their long term partnership at the US Open, Knowles and Nestor took time to find their best form. Big-serving Nestor dropped his opening two service games as Clement/Llodra raced to a 5-1 lead, and Knowles was broken in the final game of the set.
Nestor stared two match points in the face at 4-5, 30/40. But he fired a classic lefty ace past Llodra in the ad court and then kicked a second serve ace past Clement's forehand on the deciding point to level the set at 5-5. Clement then dropped serve and Knowles served out the set to love, finishing with an ace.
Knowles and Nestor blew open the match tie-break, winning seven straight points from 2-2 to 9-2 to take an unassailable lead.
Knowles said: "Obviously it wasn't our best start. We hadn't played together for a couple weeks. We were just establishing a rhythm, especially myself. I played with a different partner for four weeks straight now. Something that I'm not really accustomed to. It was just trying to get the bearings and we didn't get the start we wanted. That made it equally as tough.
Nestor blamed the slow start more on the team's double faults, including two of his own in the second game of the match. "We Played some poor service games and when you do that you give your opponent lots of confidence. Just inexcusable. We've played together for so long, we're not learning anything out there.
"It's a huge win. Just coming back against these guys who were playing really well and they put some pressure on us in the second set. We got out and kind of took over from 5-all."
On the regular ATP circuit Nestor now teams with Nenad Zimonjic. Knowles announced his intention to play with Mahesh Bhupathi after the US Open, but a back injury to Bhupathi prevented the partnership from happening.
US Open champions Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle made a winning debut at Tennis Masters Cup with a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over veteran Czech duo Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner. Aspelin and Knowle have gone five tournaments without a title since winning their first Grand Slam crown at Flushing Meadows, where they defeat Dlouhy and Vizner in the final.
After a tight first set Swede Aspelin and Austrian Knowle took command in the second set and broke Dlouhy in the final game of the match to secure their win.
Day 1 Doubles: Erlich & Ram Save Match Point
|
