Top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers are moving closer to their first clay-court title of the season at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, marching into the semi-finals on Friday over fifth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 7-6(6).
Kubot/Melo have been the most in-form team on tour, racking up ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Miami (d. Monroe/Sock) and Madrid (d. Mahut/Vasselin). But Kontinen/Peers were not to be denied, saving a set point on their serve at 5-6 in the second set en route to claiming victory in one hour 36 minutes.
Next up for Kubot/Melo is either eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers or Americans John Isner and Jack Sock.
Second seeds and defending champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan needed six match points to see off sixth seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram 6-2, 6-7(2), 11-9. Klaasen/Ram saved three match points on their serve at 4-5 and another at 5-6 in the second set. The Bryan brothers missed a fifth match point at 9/8 in the Match Tie-break with a forehand sent long, but regrouped to prevail in one hour and 35 minutes. They are in pursuit of a fifth Rome title.
Awaiting the Bryans in the final four will be fourth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut or Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas.
