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Paes-Bhupathi into third round

Shailesh Soni

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi advanced to the third round of the US Open, defeating Karsten Braasch of Germany and Marcos Ondruska of South Africa, 6-2, 6-4.

The game had the kind of pattern you expect when Leander and Mahesh play. The Indian pair -- who gave themselves the name 'Indian Express' -- started with a break in the very first game. They got another break in the seventh game to go up 5-2, and served the next game out, to take the first set 6-2.

In the second set, the pattern continued, with Mahesh and Leander bothering the Karsten/Ondruska pair on serve, taking them to deuce in the first and third games. But then, as so often happens, they went momentarily off the boil and dropped serve in the fourth game, going down 1-4.

The break against them appeared to have served to rejuvenate the Indian pair, who got their act together and went on the rampage, winning the next five games in a row including breaks in the 7th and 9th game. The final game saw Leander and Mahesh serving 15-40, but a few points in a row and the match was over at 6-2, 6-4.

Their next opponents, on Sunday, are the qualifiers, Lan Bale and Danny Sapsford, who on their way till now have beaten two very good teams (Noteboom/Wibier in the first round, the 13th seeded pair of Novak/Rikl in a big upset in the second round).

If they win, then it is the quarterfinals, where they face the winner of the match between Lobo/Sanchez and Black/O'Brien.

In mixed doubles, however, Leander Paes and Rika Hiraki lost a tough match to Rachel McQuillan and David MacPherson, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 in the first round.

Leander and Rika started in a style, getting the break in the 6th game of the first set, but were broken in the 9th game. They bounced right back to force a break in the next game and won the set at 6-4.

Then the match tightened up considerably, with every game seemingly going to deuces. It went with serve till four all, when Leander dropped serve and Rachel/David held to tie up the match.

In the 3rd set, Leander/Rika went up 2-0 with a break in second game, but lost the advantage immediately and were tied at 2-2.

The match really turned around on a stretch of 12 points. Leander/Rika were up 40-0 with triple break points and chances to go up 4-2, but lost the next seven points and found themselves serving at 3-3 facing triple break points.

They lost five of the next seven points and were down a break at 3-4. Even though Leander/Rika tried a last-ditch effort to force a break at 3-4 with a couple of deuces, it was all over. Rika's serve was broken twice, in the 3rd and 7th games.