Doubles Finalists Set for Friday's Grass Court Championships

©Colette Lewis 2006
Philadelphia PA--

Thursday was expected to be a short day, with only the consolation singles finals and the doubles semifinals scheduled. But three of the four doubles semifinals went the distance, and there was plenty of great tennis all afternoon.

Top seeds and defending champions Brad Cox and Rupesh Roy have been extended to three sets in each match of the tournament, and the unseeded team of Chase Buchanan and Blake Davis put them to the test again on Thursday, but Cox and Roy prevailed, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3. Cox and Roy will face the fourth seeded team of Brad Klahn and Rhyne Williams, who managed to survive a heated battle over unseeded Jarmere Jenkins and Austin Krajicek in the day's last match 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4).

The two and a half hour match had countless momentum swings, although when Klahn dropped his serve at 3-3 in the third, it looked bleak for the seeds. But Jenkins was immediately broken back, and four holds later, a tiebreak would decide it.

In addition to a chair umpire, there were sideline judges, but throughout the match all four boys complained regularly and vocally about the calls, especially on the serves. In the third set a service line judge was employed, but with their confidence shaken, and the match so close, none of the participants were inclined to trust the calls.

In the tiebreak, Jenkins was broken on both his serves, giving Klahn and Williams a 5-2 lead and although Krajicek saved one match point at 6-3, he couldn't negotiate the first volley on his next serve, giving Klahn and Williams the finals berth.


The first girls doubles semifinal was also a seesaw affair, with the third seeds--Gabriela Paz and Reka Zsilinszka ousting the top seeded team of Kirsten Flower and Lena Litvak 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. Paz suffered a turned ankle near the end of the second set, but after having it taped at a changeover, it didn't appear to affect her play in the final set. The turning point in the match came when Zsilinszka was serving at 4-4 in the third set. Down 0-40, Paz and Zsilinszka won the next five points, Zsilinszka held for 5-4, and then riding that wave of momentum won the next four points on Litvak's serve to take the match.

Paz and Zsilinszka will meet second seeds Lindsay Burdette and Krista Damico in the final. Burdette and Damico captured their third consecutive straight-set victory, defeating the fourth seeded team of Julia Boserup and Gail Brodsky 7-5, 6-3.

In the consolation tournament, for players losing in the first round, Jenkins defeated Yohansey Wiliams 6-2, 6-4 to take the boys' division and Irina Falconi beat Stephanie Vidov 6-1, 6-1.

The singles semifinals begin at 10:30 Friday morning and will be followed by the doubles finals.