Paes-Bhupathi in Wimbledon semis

In the semi-finals, Paes-Bhupathi will take on the winner of the quarter-final between Wayne Black (Zim)/Standon Stolle (Aus) and Oliver Delaitre/Fabrice Santoro of France.

The tie-breaker win in the third set proved a real morale booster for Paes-Bhupathi, the top ranked doubles pair in the world, and they served and volleyed brilliantly as Lareau and O’Brien’s game fell apart under mounting pressure.

The Indians earned the crucial break in the fourth set off O’Brien after games went with serve till 2-2 and then never looked back as they won the the set 6-4.

Paes-Bhupathi were at their impressive best in the decider, with the pressure on their opponents who squandered a good chance to clinch a semifinal spot.

With Paes coming up with some deft touch volleys at the net and Bhupathi acting as an able foil with his big serves and superb returns, the Indians again broke O’Brien in the seventh game of the decider, which proved enough to clinch their scintillating comeback win.

The Indians did not have a confident start when the match started yesterday.

Paes was broken early and Lareau/O’Brien raced to a 6-3 win in the first set. Paes-Bhupathi, who reached the quarters beating American duo Patrick Galbraith and Justin Gimelstob, looked on their way out as their rivals won the second but came back strongly in the third to take it to a tie-breaker.

They had three set points on Lareau’s serve in the breaker but the Canadian held (5/6). Bhupathi then sent down a good serve to seal it 7/5.

That escape proved crucial as the Indians found their bearing in the game and never let up after that.

In between, they had a minor scare when Paes had to take treatment from the tour doctor because of a back problem but that proved a minor deterrent.

With the adrenalin flowing, the Indains attacked O’Brien’s serve in fourth set and broke the American in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Bhupathi then held his serve to make it 4-2. The games went with the serve and Paes-Bhupathi clinched it 6-4.

In the decider, Paes-Bhupathi again broke O’Brien in the seventh game. Helped by a double-fault and a couple of good volleys by Paes, the Indians earned three break points.

But the American sent down three big serves to force a deuce. But Paes came up with a fine return to set up an easy volley for his partner and Bhupathi responded with a superb return to go up 4-3.

Paes then held his serve to make it 5-3 and Bhupathi finished it off with a rocket serve down the line after Lareau had held his sevrve to make it 5-4.