Rohan Bopanna, Lukasz Kubot in semis of Shanghai Masters

Shanghai: Rohan Bopanna reached the semifinals of an ATP masters for the second time this season when he and Lukasz Kubot downed Max Mirnyi and Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, here.

The eighth seeded Indo-Polish pair overcame the Belarus-Spanish combine 6-4 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the USD 7,021,335 hard court tournament.

Bopanna and Kubot saved all three breakpoints they faced in the one hour 15 minutes match and saving a set point in the 10th game of the second set proved crucial in the outcome of the match.

Bopanna, who has not played with Florin Mergea after the US Open, had won the Madrid Masters which was his best performance this season.

After Madrid, it is first time Bopanna had reached the last-four pairs stage in a Masters event.

They next face sixth seeds Marcelo Melo and Raven Klaasen.