Kolkata Open: James Duckworth, Radu Albot set up title clash

Duckworth has setup a title clash against Radu Albot of Moldova

Kolkata, Feb 27 (IANS): Top seeded Australian tennis ace James Duckworth did justice to his billing as he came back from a set down to prevail over Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans and move into the final at the ongoing Emami Kolkata Open here Friday.

Duckworth will clash for the title with Radu Albot of Moldova who got past Chinese Taipei's Ti Chen in a three setter at the BTA Complex court.

It took Duckworth one hour and 39 minutes to clinch the semi-final encounter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

The Australian, ranked 111 in the world, seemed little unorganized in the opening set as he struggled with faulty strokes owing to some terrible feet movement. He was broken by Bemelmans twice in the first set - once in the third and again in the fifth game - thereby allowing the left handed world number 139 to grab a 6-2 win to start with.

In the second set, the scenario changed drastically after the second game, where the Belgian was already up 2-0. From here, the 23-year-old Duckworth bounced back to win four straight games to turn the scorecard 4-2 in his favour, where he consoled his opponent with a game but again pocketed two straight games, to level the match by winning the set 6-3.

In the decider, Duckworth was full of confidence and mostly displayed an error free game as he comfortably broke Bemelmans thrice to pocket the match.

The second-semi final saw a repeat of the Delhi Open's first round encounter where Chen and Albot played against each other, with the Moldovian boy having the last laugh.

Sixth-seeded Albot proved to be better and stronger as he finished off the tie 6-4, 2-6. 6-2 in 138 minutes.

In the doubles, the Indian duo of Somdev Devvarman and N. Jeevan scraped through to the final as they somehow manages to survive a scare from Bemelmans and Ilija Bozoljac of Serbia. The India pair pocketed the game with a close 7-6(9),6-7(5),11-9 scoreline.

They will face the Australian duo of Duckworth and Luke Saville, who breezed past Chen and Enrique Lopez Perez, the 2nd seed 6-2 6-4.