Fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares were forced to come from a set behind to win their second match of a long day. The Brazilian-Scottish pair defeated the sixth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 6-7(7), 6-2, 10-6 to reach the Western and Southern Open final, a year after being runners-up.
Rojer/Tecau come through opener in a tiebreaker
The sixth seeds were put under immediate pressure as Tecau's attempted slice volley bounced off the net and out of play as he and Rojer fell three break points behind. Two excellent serves from the Romanian sent the game to a deciding deuce point before clinching the opening game with a timely ace for 0-1.
Murray, however, eased through his service game to love to quickly draw level, 1-1. Rojer and Soares both followed the Scot in quickly and impressively holding serve to love with all four players holding serve, 2-2.
Both teams from that moment on seemed to have found a rhythm on serve with the next six games going with the server with the score at 5-5. At 30-40, Rojer missed a half-volley return which gave the Brazilian-Scot duo a break point opportunity on deciding deuce point.
But Rojer made up for his error and served out an ace to keep infront and put the pressure on the fourth seeds at 5-6. They dealt with the pressure comfortably to send the set to a tiebreaker. Rojer/Tecau, who have yet to drop a set in two previous matches, made it five from five on their third set point to go up 6-7(7).
Murray/Soares fight back to win the second set
The start of the second set saw three holds of serve to love with Murray/Soares ahead at 2-1. The Rojer serve collapsed at 15-30 as he served up a double-fault gifting three break point chances to the fourth seeds.
The Scot attacked Rojer from the off, using the lob to effect as the return played into the hands of Soares who tucked away the overhead to break for 3-1. The sixth seeds looked to immediately fire back as two break points arrived following an excellent Rojer return.
The pair of Murray/Soares quickly snuffed out both break points to come through and take a 4-1 lead. The next two service games went with the server and after just over 20 minutes gone, Rojer/Tecau were serving to stay in the set for the first time this week at 5-2.
In an error-filled game, the 33-year-old Romanian missed a sitter at the net to gift two break/set points to the Brazilian-Scottish duo. The Curacao native 's lob played into the path of the 36-year-old who put away a forehand volley to take the set 6-2 and force a decider after an hour and 17 minutes of the match gone.
Murray/Soares come from behind in the Champions tiebreaker to seal the victory
The sixth seeds got off to a great start by grabbing the mini-break in the opening point. In the fourth point, they lost their break but immediately regained it a point later to take a 1-3 lead. The next five points all went with the server as the sixth seeds led 4-5. The Brazilian broke back with a stunning backhand winner to draw level then Tecau netted to lose serve again and fall behind 6-5.
Soares held serve, winning two points and going 8-5 up on the sixths seed. Two points later on the Rojer serve, Murray smashed a forehand winner which led to the 36-year-old netting and falling three match points behind at 9-6. At the first time of asking, the fourth seeds sealed the tiebreaker 10-6 and the victory to reach the Cincinnati Masters final.