London (AFP)

The French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut were full in their pool at the doubles Masters in London Friday beating Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romanian Horia Tecau (N.6) 6-3, 7- 6 (4).

This victory gives them the first place of the group and especially a few extra hours of rest, since their semi-final against Lukasz Kubot (POL) and Marcelo Melo (BRA), the seeded N.2, Saturday, will not start before 19:00 (French time) instead of 12:00 for the other half.

"We are happy to play like that, we will have a big test and a big game against Kubot and Melo who beat us two weeks ago (in the final in Vienna) and we will try to take our revenge," said Herbert.

"Their level can really vary a lot," said Mahut, who has faced them three times this season, including twice with Edouard Roger-Vasselin, when he was "separated" from Herbert, for two defeats and one win.

Kubot, "when he's in a very good moment, he's extremely dangerous, he's coming back very hard, very fast with a good percentage, and in the service he goes on the first and the second, but when he is less well it has waste, "summarized Mahut.

Finalists here last year - beaten by Americans Jack Sock and Mike Bryan (5-7, 6-1, 13-11), the French are hoping to put this trophy for the first time on their charts which already counts the four tournaments of the Grand Slam.

Despite a small warning on the back for Mahut at the beginning of the first set, but who was not seen in the game, the French were intractable on their commitment, not conceding any break point.

In the first leg, however, they managed to seize the opposing service from the fourth game and won the set 6-3 without much fear, despite three spoiled set balls.

Without overplaying and with a lot of work, the pair who knows each other by heart, despite a little quarrel during the year, was patient in the second set.

A great volley of defeats from Herbert gave them 5-4 with two services to follow the opportunity to abbreviate the match, which was done thanks to the two points on the faceoff of Mahut, including a winning service to conclude.

In the other semifinal, the pair N.5, South African Raven Klaasen and New Zealander Michael Venus will face the world N.1 Colombians Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah.

© 2019 AFP