Purav Raja and Divij Sharan sealed their progress to the Aircel Chennai Open doubles final with an easy 6-4, 6-2 win over the second seeded Argentine pair -- Guillermo Duran and Andres Molteni in 63 minutes.
The Indians, who had a fantastic 2016, have been quietly notching up impressive performances without much mention. They have continued with the same vein of form in 2017.
In the first set, the pair was imposing on its serve, losing just three points on it and broke its opposition's serve to take a 3-1 lead. Raja was particularly impressive near the net, and hit some excellent volleys. They won the set 6-4.
In the second, both pairs struggled to hold their serves. Raja-Sharan broke first but was immediately broken back. The Indian pair eventually held to take a 3-1 lead.
At 4-2, Raja-Sharan got a decisive break. Raja’s serve came under pressure in the second set, but he more than made up for it with his impressive play and quick reflexes near the net. Another interesting part was that the left-handed Sharan played on the right side of the court, and right-handed Raja played on left.
They also successfully used the 'I' formation -- made famous by the Bryan brothers -- in the match and later on said that it was something which worked for them.
"It keeps the opponent guessing and it's working well for us," they said.
The pair hoped this tournament will help it get more recognition. "People will notice us and it feels great to be in the tour final. Otherwise, the rankings speak for themselves."
On who they would like to face in the final, Purav said "I hope it's an all India final, but we are ready to face anyone. We will get ranking points no matter who we face."
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