Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek have chance for redemption at US Open

Leander Paes with Radek Stepanek

New York, Sep 8 (IANS) India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek, the losing finalists last year here, will have a chance to redeem themeselves when they take on second seeds Austrian Alexander Peya and Brazil’s Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles final at the US Open here Sunday.

The Indo-Czech pair, who lost to top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan in last year’s final, avenged their defeat by knocking the American twins out in the semis.

Paes has had a dream run at the Flushing Meadows. He has won two US Open titles and finished runners-up four times, and in his 20th year here he will look to add another trophy to his shelf.

However, it will not be easy against the second seeds who have been in scintillating form. The Brazilian-Austrian pair have dropped just two sets in the entire tournament, once in the first round and once in the quarter-finals.

Neither Soares nor Peya has ever won a men’s doubles Grand Slam and they would be eager to get their hands on their first trophy. However, the Brazilian tasted success in 2012, winning the US Open mixed doubles title.

Paes and Stepanek, in contrast to their opponents, have had difficult path to the finals. Besides a straight-set first round win over unseeded Finish-Russian pair Jarkko Nieminen and Dmitry Tursunov, the duo have been stretched to three sets in all their other matches.