With the mixed doubles nearing it's conclusion, Sania Mirza, and Ivan Dodig booked their spot in the final with a 4-6, 6-3, 12-10 win over home favorites Kristina Mladenovic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert. They will now face Martina Hingis and Leander Paes in Friday's final.
French pair takes opening set
With Dodig serving to open proceedings, the French pairing of Mladenovic and Herbert earned the first break of the match at 30-40. However, Dodig managed to save the point with powerful serving. The French pair won the deciding point and broke to take the first game. Almost immediately did Mirza and Dodig break back. They reached break point at 30-40, but Mladenovic hit an overhead smash to save the point. They couldn't hold on and a Dodig shot out wide hit the line and both had traded early blows for 1-1.
Both teams were failing to hold on to serve and this time, it was Mladenovic hitting a forehand down the line to have a break point opportunity. They broke in the next point, but couldn't hold on and once again they were broken immediately back following a double-fault from Mladenovic. Despite saving a break point, Mirza and Dodig got the first hold of the game for a 3-2 lead. It was then followed by a hold to love from the French pairing. Both teams held until Mladenovic and Herbert broke to take a 4-5 lead. They made no mistakes and served it out for 4-6.
Mirza and Dodig fight back to take the second set
Just lie the first set, Mladenovic and Herbert got the first break of the set and failed to capitalize and was broken back straight away with the set level at 1-1. The break points continued to come and the French pair got another at 30-40, which they took to go ahead again. It was a carbon copy of the first set, and having been broken twice, the Indian, Croatian pair fought back and got the set level.
This time, they would go on to hold serve and go-ahead 3-2 in the set. At 4-3 in the set, Mladenovic and Herbert had chances to break again, but Dodig saved the point with his powerful serving and went on to hold for 4-3. They seemed to be fired up by saving the break point and they rallied in the following game and broke to love for a comfortable 5-3 lead. The pair of Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig closed out the set 6-3 and sent the match into a tiebreaker.
Home favorites sent packing; Mirza and Dodig reach final
Mirza and Dodig would immediately put pressure on the French pair by winning the first point against serve. The good start continued in the breaker as they raced away to a 6-1. However, that lead would be cut short, and with the crowd in full voice, Mladenovic and Herbert soon found motivation and got the match tiebreaker to within a point at 5-6. From this point on, the Indian, Croatian pair were being put under pressure and soon found themselves level at 8-8.
A couple of points later and the first match points would be handed to the French pair at 8-9 when Mirza sent an overhead long. Mirza managed to save the point and go level. Mirza and Dodig would have their chance at closing out the set, but the determined Herbert rallied and saved the point to make it 10-10. At 11-10, Herbert sent a forehand long and Mirza and Dodig booked their place in the mixed doubles final.