US Open 2013: Paes-Stepanek reach finals as the Bryan brothers are finally defeated

At the beginning of 2012, Radek Stepanek and Leander Paes had just combined to form a new doubles team. The fledgling duo sprang a mighty surprise when they defeated the Bryan brothers in the finals of the Australian Open to make a spectacular beginning. Over 20 months later, the fourth seeded pair drew on those inspirational memories to come from behind for another sensational victory over Mike and Bob Bryan and reach the finals of the US Open with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 45 minutes.

The Bryans were two matches away from the Grand Slam, but came up against a duo that has consistently troubled them since they came together last year. The fourth seeded pair’s hard earned victory also avenged their painful 3-6, 4-6 loss to the Bryans last year in the finals of the US Open.

The first set was an even battle only through the first four games. Mike pierced a volley into the space between Paes and Stepanek to clinch a break point in the sixth game. Stepanek threw in a double fault on the next point to gift the break to their formidable opponents.

Meanwhile, Paes and Stepanek hadn’t won a point on the Bryan serve. Finally, they won one off Mike in the seventh game, but he held comfortably to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Serving to stay in the set, Paes survived a few edgy moments to hold serve for 3-5.

But that was all the fourth seeded combination could do as Bob polished off the set on his serve, with an ace, to clinch the lead after 29 minutes of uninspiring action from their opponents.

In a sudden twist, though, the fourth seeded Paes-Stepanek worked their way back early in the second set. Paes struck a backhand slice down the line winner to break Bob’s serve and gain a 2-0 lead.

But the advantage was squandered almost immediately. Paes sent a forehand cross court volley long to surrender a break point in the third game. Another untimely double fault cost the Indo-Czech combination the opportunity they created at the start of the second set. Mike then held serve at 15 to get things back on level terms at 2-2.

Stepanek was having an up and down afternoon and when he fell to 0-30 on his serve in the fifth game, the Bryans sensed an opportunity to take control of the match. But Stepanek rallied his team out of the hole with some power tennis. At 40-30, he pulled off a couple of brilliant backhand volleys under pressure to ensure that the set remained on serve.

Paes and Stepanek then earned their second break of the set when the Indian moved across to cut off the ball with a backhand volley low to the feet of Mike. The American could only lift it into the net to allow the fourth seeded combination take a 4-2 lead.

Paes fell into trouble on his next service game, and the Bryans forced the game to deuce. The Indian squandered a game point when he threw in a double fault two points later. But somehow, Paes and Stepanek called on all their experience and anticipation to win the next two points and stay ahead at 5-2. The Bryans held serve in the next game and it was left to Stepanek to try and force the third set by holding serve.

At 40-15, Stepanek stepped in behind his serve to volley low to Mike and clinch the set. After a lacklustre first set, the Indo-Czech duo put on a far more improved performance in the second to turn things around.

At the beginning of the third set, Bob was up 40-15 on his serve, but a brilliant backhand return winner from Paes and another backhand winner from Stepanek opened the game up a little at deuce. The Bryans, though, combined well at the net to win the next two points to get in front 1-0.

At 15-30 on the Mike serve, Paes and Stepanek rushed the Bryans at the net to earn double break point. The Indian wasted the first with a lengthy lob and a big service winner helped the Bryans save the second. There was a third opportunity and this time, Paes poached one at the net only to sail a backhand long.

Power play from the baseline worked as Bob volleyed long in response to offer a fourth break point. Another round of power hitting, this time from the net, helped the Indo-Czech duo seal the break. Paes held to love in the next game to give the match an entirely different colour at 3-1 in the decider.

The decisive break, considering it was the second in the set, came in the fifth game. It was Bob Bryan who fell to 0-40 with an insipid run of points. Even though the first break point was saved with a powerful serve, a backhand volley from Stepanek on the next point just wide of Mike’s racket helped seal a 4-1 lead.

The match took another twist when the Bryans played with renewed urgency in the sixth game. This time, they attacked the Stepanek serve to earn three break points. Sensing the danger of a Bryan comeback, Stepanek served much better to save all three of them.

On the next point, Stepanek was called out for a double fault but a challenge showed that the ball clipped the line to keep the game at deuce. Suddenly Stepanek discovered a couple of service winners to survive what appeared to be an imminent break, and inch closer to victory.

When it fell to Leander to close out the victory, the Indian promptly lost the first two points off his serve. An ace and a forehand volley winner helped the team back into the game. A well timed lob with both Paes and Stepanek plugged at the net gave the Americans a break point to stay in the match.

A flubbed backhand volley from Leander then gave the Bryans a second opportunity to break and this time they took it with a powerful return to the feet of Leander which forced the error to clinch the break and keep the match alive at 5-2.

Paes found a typically magical moment to strike a forehand winner, splitting the Bryans even with the ball behind his body to get to 30-30 in the eighth game. But Bob Bryan held his serve from there without too much difficulty and it fell upon Stepanek to serve out the match yet again, and this time the margin was thin at 5-4.

The Czech player started with a second serve ace down the middle and away from Bob to start what was to be the final game. A powerful forehand volley between the Bryans gave Leander and Stepanek three match points. They needed just one, with Mike landing the ball in the net to end the match.

The defeat denied the Bryans an opportunity to complete the calendar Grand Slam as they fell two steps short of history.

Now the fourth seeded Indo-Czech duo are one victory from completing an unlikely return to top level doubles, so quickly after a spinal surgery took Stepanek off the court for many months. In the finals, Paes and Stepanek await the winners of the match between the second seeded duo of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares and the tenth seeds, Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo.