Bhupathi-Bopanna in final of Dubai Open

Mahesh Bhuapthi and Rohan Bopanna, who need to improve their rankings to earn a direct entry to the London Olympics, stormed into the final of the ATP Dubai Open on Friday.

The fourth seeded Indian pair got the better of the giant-killing Austrian pair of Julian Knowle and Alexanderin Peya 7-6(2), 7-6 (7) in the semi-finals of the US $1,700,475 hardcourt event.

Knowle and Peya had shocked the top seeded pair of Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic in the quarter-finals.

Either Bopanna, ranked 11th, or Bhupathi (No 15) need to be in top-10 in the ATP doubles ranking to have a direct entry in the Olympics competition.

A top-10 player has the liberty to choose his partner, irrespective of his ranking.

The unseeded pair of Leander Paes and Janko Tipsarevic exited from the tournament after a 4-6, 5-7 defeat to second seeds Robert Lindstedt and Horia Teacu in the first round.