Thaindian News

Miami, April 2 (IANS) India’s Leander Paes and Luks Dlouhy of the Czech Republic breezed past Spaniards Nicolas Almagro and Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-0 to reach the doubles final of the Sony Ericsson Open tennis.
Paes and Dlouhy, winners of Roland Garros and the US Open last year, needed just 42 minutes to demolish the Spaniards, dropping just nine points in the second set Thursday at Crandon Park Tennis Center here.

Paes could meet his old partner and compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in the finals.

Fourth seeds Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus entered the semi-finals as they overcame a tough fight from Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-7(5), 10-4 in an hour and 38 minutes.

They will play Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski for a place in the final.

The Indian-Belarusian duo, which reunited at the beginning of 2010, is through to its first semi-final since featuring in the final four of the 2004 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The 2002 US Open champions are bidding for their seventh title together and their fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy.

The 35-year-old Bhupathi is aiming to reach the Miami final for the second time in three years after finishing runner-up with Mark Knowles in 2008. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Mirnyi is defending champion in Miami after lifting the trophy last year with Andy Ram and is chasing his fifth title at the.