Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut continued their impressive week by booking a place in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters semifinals with a 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 victory over Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers.
Dodig/Granollers break twice to wrap up the opening set
Herbert/Mahut was from the off put under pressure. At 15-40, Herbert threw in a double fault which led to three breaks points going the way of the sixth seeds. After missing his first serve, the 26-year-old went down the middle, to which Dodig could only play back into the hands of Mahut who put away the volley to save the first break point.
Another first serve but missed, however, a second serve ace denied the sixth seeds once again to send the game to a deciding point. Mahut smashed an overhead winner as he and Herbert avoided a poor start, 1-0. For Dodig/Granollers, they held serve much more easily only losing one point in the process for 1-1.
All four players on the court held their serve with Mahut and Granollers doing so for 2-2. With the second seeds struggling, the pair of Dodig/Granollers once again raced away to a 15-40 lead, gaining triple breaks points in the seventh game. A lob from the Spaniard sent the French pair scrambling and the return was played into the hands of the Croat who safely tucked away the point and broke before consolidating for 3-5.
With the second seeds serving to stay in the set, Dodig sent the French team the wrong direction with a volley to bring up double set points at 30-40. A poor second serve allowed Dodig to strike a forehand into the court and win the opening set, 3-6.
Herbert/Mahut force a decider
Just like the opening set, all four players began by holding their serve. This time, much easier, 2-2. The Frenchmen then began to get their heads into the game and from love-30 down, they managed to win four straight games to bring up double break points with Mahut sending an aggressive return into the path of Granollers who netted.
A crosscourt forehand winner gave the French pair the break. However, just as soon as they were focused, they lost their concentration and allowed the sixth seeds a way into the match after they forced a deciding point which was also a break point.
Following a rally that saw the sixth seeds defend for most of it, Dodig managed to smash a forehand passing shot to get the break back immediately at 3-3. The Croat/Spaniard then consolidated and edged infront at 3-4. The defending champions also held their serve and then applied some pressure for the first time in the match.
The French duo sent the game to a deciding point, which was also a breakpoint in their favor. The Croatian served up an untimely double fault as the French duo broke. They then, serving for the match grabbed triple match points. After a poor serve, Dodig didn't take his opportunity and played the ball into the path of the 35-year-old who won the point and the set, 6-4.
Herbert/Mahut win match tiebreaker to progress to the semifinals
The number two seeded French duo started the breaker in great form. In the opening point they went up a mini-break and despite losing that in the third point, they instantly regained it the next point at 3-1 and kept infront until 5-2 despite once again dropping one of their break leads. For the next three points, both teams held their serve until at 6-4, Herbert/Mahut dropped serve and allowed Dodig/Granollers a way back.
But the sixth seeds couldn't draw level and the number two seeds went ahead once more and this time kept their composure to reach match point at 9-6 on the Dodig serve. A poor untimely second serve came to the path of Herbert who sent a backhand down the line to win the match and progress to the semifinals.