At the Australian open semifinals in Melbourne on Friday, after defeating Czechs Lukas Dlouhy and Iveta Benesova 6-4, 6-1, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza stood just one win away from their maiden mixed doubles Grand Slam title together.  

A sparkling run was continued by top seed Yuki Bhambri, in the junior section to reach the boys’ singles final with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over French seventh seed Adrien Puget.  

In the opening set, Bhupathi and Sania trailed 1-3, prior to storming back to seal the issue in 54 minutes. The two were runner-up at the Melbourne Park last year.   

They will compete with the unseeded French-Israeli combination of Andy Ram and Nathalie Dechy in a top clash. Andy Ram and Nathalie Dechy had surprised seventh-seeded Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Tommy Robredo 7-6(7), 6-4.

Bhupathi and Sania were lucky enough to mend their weak start, when they had dropped just one set en route to the semifinals, since Dlouhy and Benesova beat them in the opening game to race to a 3-1 lead.

But fortunately the Indian duo pulled their socks up and broke back twice to take the first set in 32 minutes.  

Furthermore, in the second set, the duo continued to thrive and broke their rivals thrice.  

“Such was their hold over the proceedings that the Indians did not face a single break point in the second set which they wrapped up in a mere 22 minutes,” report the sources.  

Bhupathi through this win would be extremely happy since earlier the man made the men’s doubles final along with Bahamas’ Mark Knowles.