By Britwatch Tennis
- Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares def. Adrian Mannarino & Lucas Pouille 6-3 6-1
- Face Daniel Nestor & Radek Stepanek in Saturday’s final
- Third straight Slam final for Jamie Murray after reaching Wimbledon and US Open finals with former partner John Peers
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares reach their first Slam final as a pairing after defeating French duo Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille in straight sets.
Despite a bizarre delay where the net fixing in the court was broken, the British and Brazilian pair settled to a solid start, on a mixable day of weather in Melbourne.
The French pairing were undeterred by the occasion though, rustling up a couple of breakpoints on Soares’ serve, which the pair weathered, and backed up with a break to love against the French, and they did not surrender that advantage, going on to take the first set,
The momentum carried them through to a swift start at the beginning of the second set with an immediate break and with just one opportunity to get a game on the board, Murray & Soares dug in with some sharp set pieces to coast through the second set, winning 6-3 6-1.
On court, Murray joked that Soares had been playing had hard to get, but they know each others games and they are a good mix. Murray’s prowess at the net has always been a strength, and with Soares skill from the back of the court, they have gelled very quickly, coming in to Melbourne, and it has shown in their partnership on and off the court.
Soares held court in press, engaging and confident in their abilities. They will face the vastly experienced pair of Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek who knocked out the 16th seeds Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers.
Murray and Soares will come into this match as the favourites and the highest seeds standing, but know that they face Slam winners. Nestor admittedly with more on clay than on any other surface, with his hard court wins coming earlier in his career, and Stepanek most recently at the 2013 US Open, partnering Leander Paes.
Still, Murray & Soares should fancy their chances. Last year Murray quipped he was beginning to understand what his brother had gone through until he won his first slam.
They have a good sense of momentum behind them, and they work well as a team, even if Soares did bounce his partner out of the mixed doubles in the quarter-finals. But you get the feeling that will not matter a jot if Murray walks away with the silverware he wants on his third try.
Murray & Soares will play their final after the women’s final on Saturday.
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