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Tennis
Paes-Bhupathi duo gladdens Indian hearts
INIMITABLE INDIANS: Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes discuss a point during their doubles final against Tomas Cibulec and Ota Fukarek of the Czech Republic at the Tata Open on Sunday. The Indian duo won a three-setter to take their fourth crown in Ch
CHENNAI, JAN. 6. Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes lived up to their billing on an eventful evening at the Tata Open tonight as they fought back to beat Tomas Cibulec and Ota Fukarek of the Czech Republic 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 to win their fourth ATP Tour title in this city in six years.
The Indians fought with their back to the wall in the first set. Paes was broken in the sixth game but the Indians broke Cibulec's serve in the seventh game. But the Czechs were too good in the 12th game when they broke Bhupathi's serve to take the set. In the second, Bhupathi and Paes were right on top not long after Paes staved off three breakpoints to hold serve in the second game. The Indians broke Fukarek's serve in the fifth game and then Cibulek's in the seventh.
But when Paes was broken to love in the sixth game of the decider, things looked grim for the Davis Cup heroes. However, the broke Cibulec right back in the seventh game and finally once again in the 11th.
On Saturday evening, in front of the biggest crowd of the week, Mahesh and Leander, stormed into the final in one of the most exhilarating doubles matches seen here with a 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5 defeat of Frantisek Cermak and Petr Luxa of the Czech Republic.
In a very, very close semifinal, the Indian pair, winners of three Grand Slam titles, edged the Czechs in two hours and eight minutes to get to the final.
In the other semifinal, Czech Republic's Tomas Tcibulec and Ota Fukarek beat Byron Black (Zimbabwe) and Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1).
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