Bjorkman-Mirnyi, Knowles Nestor Qualify for Semifinal Showdowns
© Getty Images By Sandra Harwitt
The line up for the doubles semifinals is set at the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai and there’s bound to be some great tennis in store for fans.
The way it has all played out, second seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi will face sixth seeds Martin Damm and Leander Paes, while third seeds Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor take on Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett for a berth in the finals.
Bjorkman and Mirnyi came out on top of the Gold Group with a flawless 3-0 record courtesy of a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win over Fabrice Santoro (audio) and Nenad Zimonjic on Friday afternoon. This marked the seventh time these two teams played and Bjorkman and Mirnyi improved their record to 5-2 over Santoro and Zimonjic.
Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai Photo Gallery
Watch All Doubles Matches Free Online!
“To win the title, it's two matches away for any team at this point,” Mirnyi said. “It's great to be in the semifinals with not having lost a match. Also repeating what he said, feeling a little bit fresher by only having to play doubles at the tournament.”
© Getty Images Knowles and Nestor posted a quick 6-3, 6-3 win over Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the first doubles match on Thursday. The Fyrstenberg and Marcin team ended their trip here at 0-3, while Knowles and Nestor finished at 2-1 and Santoro and Zimonjic were at 1-2.
The Knowles and Nestor duo increased their winning edge to 3-1 over the Fyrstenberg and Matkowski team.
As for the upcoming semifinals, Bjorkman and Mirnyi should have their work cut out for them in that Damm and Paes hold a 3-1 winning record against them with all the matches taking place this year.
“Once you head into the semis, obviously any team you play is going to be tough to beat,” Bjorkman said. “The good part for us, we feel fresh. We have a lot of energy. Hopefully we can keep up the momentum.
“I think Max, if you look at the team, has been very, very good all three matches. I think hopefully I can lift up my game a little bit more. Hopefully I've saved that for this weekend.”
As for Knowles and Nestor, they trail Hanley and Ullyett with both of their losses coming during the first half of this year.
Groupings and Results
Exclusive Audio
|
