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Mahesh Bhupathi is having a good time at the $400,000 St.Poelten ATP tournament with Andrew Kratzmann. The top seed pair defeated qualifier Bowen/Waite, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round match to reach the semifinals.

They will next face 4th seeds Gambill/Humphries.

This will be Mahesh's first semifinal in an ATP tour event since Stuttgart Super 9 in late 98 in the company of somebody other than Leander Paes (Mahesh had a final with Rich Leach in 97, and the Stuttgart semifinal was with Kafelnikov).

Earlier they won their first round match 6-7(7), 6-0, 6-1 over Kiefer and Knippschild of Germany.

Meanwhile Leander Paes lost his first round qualifying match at the French Open to Tuomas Ketola of Finland 6-3 6-3.

Paes was seeded 23rd in the qualifiers. Last year Paes lost in the second round of the qualifiers, while his doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi lost in the finals of the qualifiers.

Leander now has to wait till the doubles competition begins next week. This year both Leander and Mahesh will be playing with different partners, Paes with Dutchman Jan Siemerink and Mahesh with David Prinosil. It was at the Freanch Open last year when they won their first Grand Slam.