Bryans Fight Back From The Brink In Rome

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan survived three match points against fellow Americans Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 13-11 in the second round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Wednesday. The Bryans were down 9-8, 10-9 and 11-10 in the Match Tie-break before sweeping the final three points of the match.

Watch live doubles action from Rome on TennisTV.com

The three-time Rome champions saved five of six break points faced and advanced in 79 minutes. They remain in contention to win a third ATP World Tour title this year, all on clay (Houston and Barcelona).

In the quarter-finals, the fifth-seeded Bryans will take on fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. Murray/Soares edged Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev 6-1, 7-6(8). The young stars saved four match points in the second-set tie-break before succumbing in 75 minutes.

Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, who secured their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title last week at the Mutua Madrid Open, were eliminated 6-2, 7-6(7) by the unseeded duo of Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers. Cuevas/Granollers erased all four break points faced and will take on Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock in the quarter-finals. Pospisil/Sock combined for nine aces and did not face a break point in ousting Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi 7-6(6), 6-4.

Madrid finalists Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea rallied to win 6-7(5), 6-4, 10-8 against Benoit Paire and Joao Sousa. Bopanna/Mergea won 10 of 11 second-serve return points in the second set and overcame a 7-6, 3-1 deficit before clinching victory in 89 minutes.