Knowles/Nestor Into Semis at ATP Masters Cup Doubles

Top seeds Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor moved into the semifinals Tuesday at the ATP Masters Cup Doubles for the second consecutive year, coming back from a set down to defeat Zimbabwe's Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(7).

The Bahamian/Canadian duo saved three match points in the third-set breaker, and snapped a four-match losing streak against Black/Ullyett. Knowles/Nestor have already clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time in three years.

Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge, already guaranteed a place in the semifinals, also had to come back from a set down to defeat Gaston Etlis/Martin Rodriguez 2-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(3), eliminating the Argentines from the semifinals. Bjorkman and Woodbridge missed the semifinals last year after failing to convert two match points against Bob and Mike Bryan in round-robin play.

The Belgian duo of Xavier "X-Man" Malisse and Olivier "The Roach" Rochus kept their semifinals hopes alive, eliminating bounced Czechs Martin Damm and Cyril Suk 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

The match between the Bryan brothers and Mahesh Bhupathi/Max "The Beast" Mirnyi was stopped at 5-4 and will be continued Wednesday.

Scheduled for today are Bryan/Bryan vs. Bhupathi/Beast (to finish), Black/Ullyett vs. Malisse/Rochus with the winner into the semifinals, and Knowles/Nestor vs. Damm/Suk.