ROME -- Canadian Daniel Nestor and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic reached the doubles final of the Italian Open on Saturday as they beat top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan for the second week in a row, advancing 7-6 (3), 4-6, 12-10.
The sixth-seeded pair, who beat the Americans last week in the Madrid Masters final, needed one hour 39 minutes to complete the semifinal victory at the Foro Italico.
"Today we were fortunate," said Nestor. "It was a tight match with both teams playing well. We both had chances but we found a way to win today.
"It seems that against the Bryans right now, we can play our best against them when we have to."
Nestor and Zimonjic will play an unseeded duo on Sunday. Robin Haase of the Netherlands and Spain's Feliciano Lopez were to play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic in the late semifinal.
Either way, it will be a first career meeting for the veteran duo of Nestor and Zimonjic.
"Both teams are very dangerous, and we've struggled against teams we don't know much about," said Nestor. "We need to come to the court ready to play every point and not be satisfied with what's been going on for the last few weeks.
"Our goal is to play well. If they are too good, well they are too good. If not, then we win a second title in a row."
In the match tiebreak, Nestor and Zimonjic took a 6-3 lead only to give up three straight points. The Bryans blew a match point before Nestor's team claimed victory on their second match point.
The Canadian and his partner have won 26 titles as a team, including victories at Sydney and Madrid this season. They lost finals in Dubai and Barcelona.
Nestor also won the Brisbane title alongside Mariusz Fyrstenberg of Poland in the opening week of the season.
The Canadian is third with 84 career titles, trailing Mike Bryan (100) and Bob Bryan (98). The 41-year-old Canadian will be playing in his 140th career doubles final.
