It has not been easy for 115-time tour-level champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. But in crunch time, the 39-year-old twins have found ways to survive and advance.
A day after saving match point, the Americans faced another tough battle, overcoming defending champion Pablo Cuevas and his partner, Marcel Granollers, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 10-5.
Bryan/Bryan, who turn 40 on 29 April, are into their sixth semi-final in eight tournaments this year, winning their 37th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open presented by Itaú.
The fourth seeds did not earn a break point in the match, but saved all four against them. And in the Match Tie-break, they gained a 5/0 lead that they did not relinquish, closing out the match in one hour, 49 minutes as they continue pursuing a sixth trophy in Monte-Carlo. It was the brothers’ second victory against Cuevas this season, after defeating the Uruguayan and Horacio Zeballos in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open in March.
The 115-time tour-level titlists next face wild cards Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli, who lost to Bryan/Bryan in the 2015 Monte-Carlo final. The Italians have won three tour-level titles as a team, with their most recent triumph coming at the 2015 Australian Open.
On the bottom of the draw, the other half of the 2017 championship-winning duo, Rohan Bopanna, joined partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin to defeat this year’s Australian Open and Argentina Open finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4, 6-4.
They advance to face third seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who got a walkover against Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin, as the Bulgarian withdrew citing a shoulder injury.
Marach and Pavic have won three tour-level titles this season (Doha, Auckland, Australian Open) and currently lead the ATP Doubles Race To London.
Did You Know?
Bryan/Bryan have lost just one set against Bolelly/Fognini in their four FedEx ATP Head2Head meetingsreadfullarticle
