Mixed luck for Bhupathi

This was the second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearance for Paes-Bhupathi. The two had reached the last-four stage of 1997 US Open where they went down to Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Daniel Vacek.

Bjorkman-Eltingh will now meet the top-rated Australian duo of Mark Woodforde andTodd Woodbridge who registered a 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 win over the Australian-American pair of David MaCpherson and David Wheaton.

The Woodies are bidding for their third Australian Open crown.

BHUPATHI STAYS IN COMPETITION: Bhupathi put behind his disappointment of losing in the men8217;s doubles and came back strongly to reach the last-four stage of the mixed doubles event today.

Partnering Caroline Vis of the Netherlands at Melbourne Park, the No 4 seeds, playing together for first time in this event, rallied from one set down to beat unseeded Australians Andrew Kratzmann and Kerry-Anne Guse 4-6, 7-6 9-7, 6-2.

Bhupathi-Vis will meet the brother-sister combination of Cyril Suk and Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic in the semis tomorrow.

The fifth-seeded Czechs also came from a set down to score a 3-6, 7-6 7-1, 6-4 win against Aleksander Kitinov of Macedonia and Eva Melicharova of the Czech Republic.