MONTREAL — Veteran Daniel Nestor is in the doubles final of the Rogers Cup.
The 42-year-old from Toronto and French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin downed Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 6-1 (10-4) in the semifinals on Saturday.
They will face the top-seeded pair of Bob and Mike Bryan in the final of the US$4.1 million event on Sunday. The Bryan duo beat Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 6-7 (7), 6-4 (10-7).
It is a fifth trip to the final for Nestor of the tournament once called the Canadian Open, but a first when the event is held in Montreal. With a variety of partners, he has won and lost twice each in Toronto, including a win and a loss to the Bryans. The most recent was a win in 2008.
"I’m excited for sure," said Nestor. "I didn’t know what to expect this week playing with Edouard for the first time, but he’s been playing great."
Nestor, in the tournament for a 27th time, has shone in doubles while Canada’s singles players in both the men’s and women’s Rogers Cups exited early.
He and Roger-Vasselin took out the second-seeded Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the second round and haven’t looked back.
They will be in tough against the Bryans, however.
"It will be special to play them in this environment, playing at home," said Nestor. "But they’re the favourite every tournament they go into. Just go out there and swing away and see what happens."
In his career, Nestor has won 87 doubles titles with nine different partners. He has taken eight grand slam events and won gold at the 2000 Olympics with Sebastien Lareau.
And he’s still going strong.
"He continues to annoy me," Djokovic said of Nestor with a laugh. "I never won against him in doubles.
"He’s keeping that clean sheet against me. He’s an example of somebody that has so much passion for the sport, he can be a real role model for many young tennis players coming on the tour. He’s out there every day practising, working, working in the gym, recovering, being fully committed to the sport at the age of 43."
Asked if he thinks he’ll still be playing at that age, Djokovic said: "Only if Danny coaches me, starts travelling with me. Maybe I’ll play with him in about 15 years. He’ll still be playing."