LAKEWAY, TX - Martin Emmrich and Daniel de la Rosa are used to giving their opponents trouble by having both of their forehands in the middle. Emmrich is left-handed, and De la Rosa is a powerful righty.

They had to endure that same challenge in their second-round match Saturday against C.J. Klinger and Jaume Martinez Vich, another lefty-righty combo.

The teams split the first two games, with each winning one 11-8.

One challenge in particular for Emmrich and De la Rosa was figuring out how to read the lefty teenager Klinger.

“At the kitchen, it looks like C.J.’s sitting on the backhand, but it seemed like he was actually sitting forehand,” explained Emmrich. “I would say 80% of players sit on the backhand, so that was a tough adjustment to make.”

The No. 16 seeds eventually prevailed in Game 3 11-7, relying on each other to keep them present in the tense moments.

“We just tried to keep each other positive and fired up,” said De la Rosa. “In case one of us is doing something wrong, we have the trust and confidence between us that we can talk freely, and that’s one thing that helps a lot." 

Emmrich and De la Rosa will next play top seeds Ben and Collin Johns with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.