After winning their respective third round encounters at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank, Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka teamed up to face eighth seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers, putting forth a valiant effort before falling 7-6(4), 6-2 to the Finnish-Australian pairing.

Kontinen/Peers Edge Out Dimitrov/Wawrinka in First-Set Tiebreak

The first nine games of the match were clinical as far as the server was concerned, with both teams having little trouble to hold their respective service games. However, it wasn’t until the tenth game when the first major opportunities to claim the break presented themselves and some might say, the perfect time for Kontinen and Peers.

John Peers hits a forehand during his third round doubles match with Henri Kontinen against Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
John Peers hits a forehand during his second round doubles match with Henri Kontinen against Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
 

Leading 5-4, the Finnish-Australian pairing won three points in a row from 30-0 down to earn double set point, suddenly putting an immense amount of pressure on the Dimitrov serve. But to the credit of Dimitrov, the Bulgarian was able to serve his team’s way out of trouble, with the help of some masterful volleys from Wawrinka, saving both set points en route to restoring parity at five-games-all.

From there, unfazed by their missed opportunities, Kontinen and Peers responded in emphatic style, holding to edge their nose back in front and put the pressure right back on their opponents. Serving to stay in the set once more, this time, it was Wawrinka who was able to serve his way out of trouble from set point down; the Swiss winning another nerve-wracking deciding point, with the help of yet another massive serve, to force a first-set tiebreak.

Henri Kontinen prepares to hit a serve during his second round doubles match with John Peers against Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
Henri Kontinen prepares to hit a serve during his second round doubles match with John Peers against Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao

In that tiebreak, it was the Bulgarian-Swiss pairing who would earn the break right off the bat, but it was Kontinen and Peers who fought back immediately, and with a vengeance. From a mini-break down, the Finnish-Australian pairing soon found themselves up a mini-break, and with three more set points. After missing the first of those opportunities, the Finnish-Australian pairing made no mistake the second time around, converting their fifth set point overall to take a hard-fought opening set in the tiebreak, 7-6(4).

Kontinen/Peers Break Twice En Route to Cruising to Victory

After finally clinching the opening frame, Kontinen and Peers appeared to hit with a lot more freedom, and it paid off almost immediately; the eighth seeds breaking straight away to open the second set. From there, both teams would exchange holds until the seventh game of the second set, with the seeded pairing having a substantially easier time with holding serve than their opponents, who were struggling to stay afloat.

Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka in action during their second round doubles match against Henri Kontinen and John Peers at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
Grigor Dimitrov (L) and Stan Wawrinka in action during their second round doubles match against Henri Kontinen and John Peers at the 2016 Rogers Cup. | Photo: Max Gao
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But in the seventh game, a second break for Kontinen and Peers appeared to be the last nail in the coffin for Dimitrov and Wawrinka, as the Finnish-Australian pairing moved within one game of a spot in the last eight. Serving for the match, the eighth seeds had little trouble closing out the victory, doing so at love to secure a stunning 7-6(2), 6-2 victory.

Kontinen/Peers to Meet Murray/Soares

For a place in the semifinals, the eighth seeds will face reigning Australian Open champions and second seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who defeated the unseeded pairing of Bernard Tomic and Viktor Troicki in straight sets.