Sydney: Leander Paes and Martin Damm lost to Bob and Mike Bryan of US 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter finals of the $1.19 million Sydney International at the Sydney International Tennis Centre here on Thursday.

Italian underdog Andreas Seppi saved two match points in a stunning 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over world number four Lleyton Hewitt.

Hewitt, four-time Australian Open winner, led 5-3 in the second and third sets and twice served for the match only to self-destruct on each occasion.

Seppi, ranked 60th, fought back to win the last four games of both sets as Hewitt inexplicably fell apart, the Australian contributing 61 unforced errors to the Italian’s 27 winners.

“I really should have finished it off in straight sets,” Hewitt told reporters.

“I just got too defensive when I got up ... I just didn’t attack him and put enough pressure on him.”