US twins reach Australian Open doubles final

MELBOURNE: Bob Bryan reached the Australian Open men's doubles final with his twin brother Mike Thursday in a semi-final so exciting that his pregnant wife felt contractions and had to turn off the TV.

The American twins, who are now just one win away from the all-time record for grand slam doubles titles, lost the first set and scraped through the third, beating Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

The top seeds will face the Indian-Czech pairing of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek in the final for their 12th grand slam title, which would outstrip Australian duo Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.

Bob Bryan said he had told his wife, who is at home on bed-rest in the final days of her pregnancy, not to watch Saturday's title match.

"She turned it off in the third set because she was starting to feel a couple small contractions," he said. "I've been telling her, 'Don't watch the matches; it will get your heart rate going and you might spit that baby out'.

"It's going to be tight the next couple days, especially with the nerves. She's not getting out of bed. She can see the finish line. She knows she's a few days away from me coming home. She's not going to risk it, not now."

Paes and Stepanek beat the second seeds, Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Tecau reached the mixed-doubles semi-finals along with Paes and Elena Vesnina. (AFP)