Henri Kontinen and John Peers have surged into a first final at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals courtesy of a 7-6(2), 6-4 victory against Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan on Saturday. It was their ninth straight match win, which includes their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.
Bob Bryan was forced to fend off three break points during a quick-fire opening set but the server dictated play as neither pairing could seize the initiative. A tie-break was required and Kontinen’s sublime stop volley along with Peers’ backhand return winner established the perfect start. The fifth seeds struck a series of aggressive returns and claimed the first set over the four-time former champions.
Kontinen/Peers prevailed in the only previous meeting with the American twins, a straight-sets triumph in Paris earlier this month, and they looked destined for a repeat result in the second set. Mike Bryan was broken at 1-1, with Kontinen/Peers punishing the second serve. Kontinen immediately consolidated the break with an emphatic hold to love.
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The challenge from the Californian twins looked to be fading when Bob Bryan was rapidly broken to trail 1-4. However, remarkable reactions in an all-court rally sparked a break to reduce the deficit. The Bryan brothers had the momentum and forced Kontinen to a deciding deuce point, but a pinpoint ace restored a 5-3 advantage for the fifth seeds. Peers had the task to serve out the match and clinched a place in Sunday’s title showdown with a precise one-two combination.
The Finnish/Australian duo are a debutant pairing at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and have hit peak form in London having navigated through Group Fleming/McEnroe with a perfect 3-0 record.
Victory on Sunday would complete a strong first season as a pairing. They have acquired 42 match wins thus far, including four ATP World Tour titles. Kontinen/Peers will face the winner of Raven Klaasen/Rajeev Ram and Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares, who play on Saturday night.
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