THE BRYANS
Robert ''Bob'' Charles Bryan
urodzony 29 kwietnia 1978 roku w Camarillo (Kalifornia), zawodową karierę zaczął w roku 1998, obdarzony doskonałymi warunkami fizycznymi: 193 cm i 91 kg, zamieszkuje Wesley Chapel na Florydzie gdzie również trenuje z David'em Macpherson'em. Najwyższą pozycję w rankingu ATP zajmował w 2000 roku - 116 miejsce. Obecnie występuje wyłącznie w grze deblowej i mieszanej, oprócz kilku występów singlowych rozgrywanych w ramach Davis Cup (w tym roku rozegrał spotkania zarówno przeciw Czechom jak i Hiszpanom).
Michael ''Mike'' Carl Bryan
brat bliźniak Bob'a, rozpoczął karierę w tym samym roku. Mierzy 190 cm i waży 87 kg. W przeciwieństwie do brata jest praworęczny. Trenowany przez Macpherson'a, również zamieszkuje Wesley Chapel. Prezentuję grę bardzo podobną do tenisa brata; tenis oparty na świetnym serwisie, woleju i przygotowaniu fizycznym. Najwyższą pozycję w rankingu zajmował w 2003 roku - 246 pozycja. Znacznie rzadziej występował w singlu rozgrywając jedynie 16 pojedynków.
Wspólna kariera
Zarówno Bob jak i Mike stosunkowo późno rozpoczęli kariery co było spowodowane reprezentowaniem Stanford University w rozgrywkach krajowych. Obecnie bracia tworzą jedną z najlepszych par deblowych na świecie. Od 2003 roku, kiedy to we wrześniu zostali liderami Stanford ATP Doubles Ranking, utrzymują się w gronie najwybitniejszych. Wygrali pięć turniejów wielkoszlemowych w deblu. W 2005 roku byli w finałach wszystkich turniejów Wielkiego Szlema. Na Igrzyskach Olimpijskich w Atenach przegrali w ćwierćfinale z późniejszymi triumfatorami Gonzalezem i Massu. Dwukrotnie zwyciężali w kończącym sezon turnieju Masters (2003, 2004). Od lat tworzą mocny punkt reprezenacji Davis Cup. W ramach tych rozgrywek wygrali 10 spotkań, przegrywając zaledwie jeden mecz (z parą chorwacka: Ljubicić, Ancić - I runda Grupy Światowej, Amerykanie ostatecznie przegrali z Chorwatami w Los Angeles). W 2007 roku bliźniacy wgrali Australian Open (po finale z Bjorkman/Mirnyi) oraz wygrali dwa mecze w Pucharze Davisa. Zwyciężyli również w wielkim turnieju w Miami. Wspólnie Bob i Mike wygrali 26 turniejów deblowych. Mike, z innymi partnerami wygrał ponadto dwie imprezy (Long Island w parze z Bhupathim i Nottingham w parze z Knowlesem). Bob Bryan wygrywał US Open w konkurencji miksta, w parze z Amerykanką Raymond (2002), Słowenką Srebotnik (2003), Rosjanką Zwonariewą (2004) i Martiną Navratilovą (2006)
Najważniejsze deblowe występy w turniejach wielkoszlemowych:
* Australian Open
Doubles Champion: 2006,2007,2009,2010
* French Open
Doubles champion: 2003 (defeated Haarhuis/Kafelnikov)
* Wimbledon
Doubles champion: 2006 (defeated Santoro/Zimonjic)
* U.S. Open
Doubles champion: 2005,2008,2010
www.bobandmike.com/
www.atptennis.com/3/en/players/playerpr … umber=B588
www.atptennis.com/3/en/players/playerpr … umber=B589
W dniu wczorajszym, bracia bliźniacy odnieśli swoje 600 zwycięstwo, pokonując parę Melo/Sa w półfinale turnieju w Bazylei 4-6 6-0 10-7. ;)
Bracia Bryanowie najlepszym deblem świata
Bracia Bob i Mike Bryanowie wygrali w niedzielę kończący sezon turniej ATP World Tour Finals w Londynie. Triumf w hali O2 Arena dał amerykańskim tenisistom pierwsze miejsce w rankingu najlepszych debli w tym roku - ATP Doubles Race.
W finale rozstawieni z numerem drugim bracia Bryanowie pokonali 7:6 (7-3), 6:3 Białorusina Maksima Mirnyja i Andy'ego Rama z Izraela (nr 7.). Odnieśli zwycięstwo w ciągu 82 minut, a w całym meczu tylko raz przełamali serwis rywali - Rama, w drugim secie. Zrewanżowali się w ten sposób rywalom za porażkę w pierwszym meczu w grupie B, którą ponieśli w poniedziałek.
Amerykańscy bliźniacy po raz piąty w karierze zakończą sezon na czele rankingu najlepszych par. Byli najlepszym deblem w 2003 roku i w latach 2005-07. Przed rokiem w turnieju masters ponieśli porażkę w finale z Kanadyjczykiem Danielem Nestorem i Serbem Nenadem Zimonjicem i stracili prowadzenie w klasyfikacji na ich rzecz.
W O2 Arena Nestor i Zimonjic nie zdołali obronić tytułu, a nawet nie wyszli z grupy A, zajmując w niej czwarte miejsce, za Mariuszem Fyrstenbergiem i Marcinem Matkowskim. Przegrali z Polakami w poprzednią niedzielę mecz otwierający turniej, a później odnieśli tylko jedno zwycięstwo.
31-letni Amerykanie odnieśli w niedzielę trzecie zwycięstwo w kończącym sezon turnieju, który od tego roku do 2012 będzie rozgrywany w Londynie pod nową nazwą - ATP World Tour Finals. Poprzednio triumfowali w masters Cup w Houston, w latach 2003-04, zanim impreza została przeniesiona do Szanghaju.
Bryans Claim Fourth Australian Open Title
ATP World Tour Doubles Champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan defeated rivals Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 Saturday evening in Melbourne to win their fourth Australian Open doubles crown.
The Americans successfully defended their title at Melbourne Park, having beaten Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the final last year, and also lifted the trophy in 2006 (d. Paes-Damm) and 2007 (d. Bjorkman-Mirnyi).
“It's a great city. We feel comfortable here,” said Mike. “I mean, I think Andre [Agassi] called it the happy slam. Seems we're in a good mood coming down here, fresh from an off season. We like to get a jump to the year."
Victory marks the twins’ eighth Grand Slam championship win, putting them in second place behind Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde (11) for most Grand Slam doubles titles won by a team in the Open Era. In addition to their triumphs at the Australian Open, the Bryans also won Roland Garros in 2003 (d. Haarhuis-Kafelnikov), Wimbledon in 2006 (d. Santoro-Zimonjic) and the US Open in 2005 (d. Bjorkman-Mirnyi) and 2008 (d. Dlouhy-Paes).
“[Emulating Woodbridge and Woodforde] is on our mind obviously,” said Bob. “But it's a few Sundays away before we get to that point. The Woodies are our idols. To be considered in the same league with those guys is an honor itself. I imagine if we stay healthy, we might touch that mark. But if we do we definitely want to honour those guys for all they've done for us. Todd, when he retired, he's given us advice. They've been extremely nice to us when we were youngsters.”
In the teams’ 12th meeting, the Bryans looked to overturn a five-match losing streak against their Canadian-Serbian opposition and made the perfect start as they raced to a 5-2 lead before closing out the first set 6-3.
Second seeds Nestor and Zimonjic quickly opened up a 3-1 lead in the second set, but it was an advantage they were to relinquish immediately and the match appeared to be slipping away from them in straight sets as they went on to trail 2-5 in the tie-break. The 2009 Wimbledon champions hit back, though, and levelled the match as they won the tie-break 7-5.
Undeterred by the loss of the second set, the Bryans broke serve to lead 3-1 in the deciding set and went on to close out the victory 6-3, reducing the deficit in their head-to-head standing with Nestor and Zimonjic to 8-4.
“It was a tough break [losing the second set],” said Bob. “Maybe in another final, a smaller tournament, that could have broken us. But when you play two weeks here and it's a Grand Slam final, you don't let anything get you down. I thought we stayed extremely positive. We put it all behind us. I thought actually our energy went up in the third. We kind of had out of body experiences in the third, kind of just got across the finish line somehow. It was great.”
The 31-year-old twins also attributed their success partly to switching sides on the doubles court, with right-handed Mike returning from the deuce court.
“We thought we would try something different,” explained Mike. They've kind of had our number. Last year they beat us in a lot of finals. We decided to throw a new look at them. We used to play like that early in our career. We've had some experience doing it.
“[It was] our first time in a Grand Slam final playing that way, but it seemed to help. They served extremely big. It's a little easier to take the inside out backhand crosscourt than trying to pull a big one. [It] could be the way of the future.”
The Bryans and Nestor and Zimonjic have formed a riveting rivalry since their first meeting at the 2007 BNP Paribas Masters in Paris (Bercy). Nestor and Zimonjic were victorious in the final of the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup, a winner-take-all finale that saw the Canadian-Serbian duo also crowned ATP World Tour Champions, and held the Bryans’ number once more in the 2009 Wimbledon final.
“It felt today like there was a little bit less pressure,” said Mike. “I thought maybe they were the favourites. Even though we were seeded No. 1, they had beaten us. We went in there a little looser. I think we felt the pressure in the past.”
The Bryans regained the year-end No. 1 team ranking last year after victory at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (formerly the Tennis Masters Cup), making it the fourth time they had been crowned ATP World Tour Champions.
Nestor and Zimonjic were contesting their fourth Grand Slam final together since reuniting for a long-term partnership at the end of 2007. They won consecutive Wimbledon titles in 2008 (d. Bjorkman-Ullyett) and 2009 and finished runners-up at Roland Garros in 2008 (l. to Cuevas-Horna).
The 37-year-old Nestor was appearing in his fourth Australian Open final; he won the title in 2002 (d. Llodra-Santoro) with former long-time partner Mark Knowles and the pair also finished runner-up in 1995 and 2003. The 33-year-old Zimonjic was contesting his first Australian Open final.
Bryans To Be Featured Tonight On 60 Minutes
World No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan will be featured on Sunday, March 21, at 7 PM (ET/PT) on CBS’ 60 Minutes, the most successful broadcast in television history. Also on March 21, the Bryan Brothers Band will release its new single, Open My Heart, a tribute to Andre Agassi, on iTunes.
A CBS crew filmed the Bryan Brothers over a period of four months starting at the 2009 US Open in September to capture their whirlwind life on and off the court. In profiling the identical twins, Emmy-award winning correspondent Lesley Stahl learned that some of their opponents actually suspect the brothers have “twin telepathy” because they are so coordinated in their movements on the court. In the CBS promotional clip, the charismatic brothers are shown making identical movements:
Recognized by their trademark chest bump, the Bryan Brothers have energized doubles tennis since they turned pro in 1998. Bob and Mike Bryan have been the year-end #1 team in the world five times: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 (#2 2004 and 2008).
Since winning the 2010 Australian Open in January, their eighth Grand Slam title, the Bryans also won the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. With 58 championships, the duo needs only four more titles to become the winningest doubles team in Open era history. 2010 International Tennis Hall of Fame nominees Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde currently hold the record with 61 titles.
The Bryan Brothers Foundation is also a major priority for the twins. In addition to an annual tennis event and gala in hometown Los Angeles, the Bryan Brothers participate in charity pro-ams and band gigs at almost every tour stop to raise money for numerous causes worldwide.
According to Mike Bryan, Stahl played piano while joining the boys for a jam session in their studio. “It was really fun to get to know Lesley", said Mike, "and we are glad she shares our love of tennis and music.”
"We are extremely honored to be featured on a show with the history of 60 Minutes. We are also excited that they took the opportunity to showcase our lives and tennis," noted Bob Bryan.
Having reached #1 on the tennis court, the multi-talented Bryan Brothers are also hoping to climb the record charts with the release of their newest single, Open My Heart, on ITunes on March 21. Open My Heart features Counting Crows drummer Jim Bogios, who adds his star power to the band whenever he is not on tour.
The Bryan Brothers Band released its debut album “Let it Rip” in 2009. Featuring lead singer David Baron on keyboard, Bob also on keyboard and keyboard bass, and Mike on lead guitar and drums, the Bryan Brother Brothers Band jams at tour stops, clubs, and charity events as they travel the world. Songs on their CD include the humorous and rocking Autograph, with guest performances by World No. 2 Novak Djokovic and World No. 4 Andy Murray; Spending My Days, Chasing the Sun, Marching On; and the title track Let It Rip.
59) US Men's Clay Court Championship - Houston (USA)
R1 Ross Hutchins/Jordan Kerr (GBR/AUS) 6-4 7-6(4)
QF Martin Damm/Filip Polasek (CZE/SVK) 6-4 6-3
SF (WC)Nathan Healey/Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-2 7-6(4)
F (3)Stephen Huss/Wesley Moodie (AUS/RSA) 6-3 7-5
Bryans Capture 60th Doubles Crown
Reigning ATP World Tour Champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan moved to within one tour-level title of matching Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde’s Open Era record haul of 61 trophies after regaining the Internazionali BNL d’Italia crown Sunday in Rome.
In an all-American final at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournament, the second-seeded Bryans defeated John Isner and Sam Querrey 6-2, 6-3 in just 49 minutes to capture their fourth tour-level title of the season.
“It’s getting pretty close now (to the Open Era record)," said Mike Bryan. "Already four titles this year, so the next one’s going to be the big one. It’s going to be a big final, a lot of nerves. We’re hoping to tie it before we get out of Europe. We don’t want to get the monkey on our back and have to be thinking about it, so we want to do it as quick as possible.
“It’s huge for us to be considered a great team like the Woodies. We’re hoping to do it. Probably Wimbledon would be the best place to do it in because that’s on TV live back in the States, Centre Court match, that would be exciting."
Last year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champions, currently second in the 2010 ATP Doubles Team Rankings, earned 1000 ATP World Tour ranking points. The top eight teams at the end of the season will qualify for the circuit finale, to be held at The O2 in London 21-28 November.
In the first all-American final in Rome in the Open Era, the Bryans swiftly secured the opening set with two service breaks in the fourth and eighth games. They then closed out victory in the second set with a break of serve in the eighth game before Mike Bryan served out to 15.
The Bryans were contesting the final at the Foro Italico for the fifth time. They finished runner-up in 2005, 2007 and 2009 and captured the title in 2008 (d. Nestor-Zimonjic).
The Bryans, who celebrated their 32nd birthday on Thursday, have a perfect 4-0 record in tour-level finals this season after triumphing at the Australian Open in January, Delray Beach in February and Houston on clay last month. They captured their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title since Cincinnati in August 2008 and improved to a 14-12 record in Masters 1000 finals.
Isner and Querrey were appearing in their second ATP World Tour final together, after capturing their first title together in Memphis (d. Hutchins-Kerr) in February. Both players were trying to capture their third career ATP World Tour title.
“Those guys are great guys. Two of our best friends on tour," complimented Mike Bryan. "We were joking that they’re going after our Davis Cup spot. They’re the future of American tennis. They’re going to have bright futures. With their weapons they can do singles and doubles. They want to go to London and make the Masters (Barclays ATP World Tour Finals) in doubles and I think they’re going to do it.”
60) BNL Internazionali D'Italia - Rome (ITA)
1R BYE
2R F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 6-4 6-1
QF N Almagro (ESP) / M Granollers (ESP) 6-3 3-6 10-6
SF [7] L Kubot (POL) / O Marach (AUT) 6-1 6-2
W J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) 6-2 6-3
61) Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open 2010 - Madrid (ESP)
1R bye
2R [ALT]Becker (GER)/Chiudinelli (SUI) 6-1 7-6(4)
QF [8]Fyrstenberg (POL)/Matkowski (POL) 6-3 6-4
SF Granollers (ESP)/Troicki (SRB) 6-0 4-6 10-2
W [1]Nestor (CAN)/Zimonjic (SRB) 6-3 6-4
The Bryans najlepsi w LA, rekord wszech czasów.
Mike i Bob wygrali turniej w LA. Był to już 62 wygrany przez nich turniej i tym samym Amerykanie pobili rekord wszech czasów, jaki do tej pory współposiadali ze słynną parą Woodbridge/Woodforde. ;)
US Open: Trzeci tytuł braci Bryanów
Bob i Mike Braynowie wygrali deblowy turniej US Open na kortach twardych w Nowym Jorku. W finale amerykańscy bliźniacy pokonali Rohana Bopannę i Aisama-Ul-Haqa Qureshiego 7:6(5), 7:6(4).
Amerykanie do spółki z reprezentantami Indii i Pakistanu stworzyli ciekawe widowisko z bardzo dużą liczbą efektownie kończonych przy siatce piłek, ale w obu tie breakach górę wzięło doświadczenie Boba i Mike'a.
Dla braci Bryanów, którzy w ćwierćfinale wyeliminowali Mariusza Fyrstenberga i Marcina Matkowskiego, to dziewiąty wielkoszlemowy tytuł i trzeci wywalczony na Flushing Meadows (wcześniej w 2005 i 2008 roku). Amerykanie przez cały turniej przeszli bez straty seta. Bob tegoroczny US Open zakończył z podwójną zdobyczą, bo w parze z Liezel Huber wygrał też turniej miksta.
Qureshi w tym roku na Flushing Meadows zaliczył dwa finały (w mikście w parze z Kvetą Peschke).
Bryans Delight Young Patients On Hospital Visit
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan travelled to the Shanghai United Family Hospital on Wednesday to visit the hospital’s youngest patients, new families and their doctors.
The American twins spent time talking and signing autographs with the patients and their families before they discussed this week’s Shanghai Rolex Masters with doctors and hospital staff.
The Bryans captured their 10th tour-level title in their 10th final of the year on Sunday at the China Open in Beijing to extend their winning streak to 18 matches. They have already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London from 21-28 November.
Bryans Clinch Year-End No. 1 For Record Sixth Time
American brothers Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have clinched the year-end No. 1 ATP Doubles Team Ranking for an ATP World Tour record sixth time. By reaching their 11th final of the year today at the Swiss Indoors Basel, the Bryans have guaranteed that they cannot be overtaken by No. 2 team and great rivals Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.
The 32-year-old twins' memorable season included two Grand Slam titles (Australian Open, US Open), giving them nine in their career, and four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (Rome, Madrid, Toronto, Cincinnati). They also broke Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde's mark of 61 career titles as a team by winning their 62nd title in Los Angeles on 1 August.
They are 10-0 in finals during the season and if they finish the year without a loss in finals, they will become the first team in the past 30 years to win at least 10 titles without losing in a final. They won a career-high 11 titles in 2007. In February, they became the first duo in the Open Era to secure 600 match wins as a team.
The Bryans also were ATP World Tour Doubles Champions in 2003, '05-07 and '09. They previously were tied with the Woodies with five year-end No. 1 finishes.
"Finishing No. 1 is always our ultimate goal when we start any year and to achieve this feat again feels great, especially with the quality of doubles teams in our sport," said Bob. "I tip my hat to [Daniel] Nestor and [Nenad] Zimonjic who have had another amazing year. For three years, two teams have clearly separated themselves from the field and it's this rivalry that forced us to find ways to improve. I'm sorry to see them split but wish them luck in their new partnerships. I give special thanks to our coach, my fiancé, our trainer, family, and fans. For their support, I'm forever grateful."
Mike added, "The 2010 season has been a special one for so many reasons but we're always most proud of ending the year on top. We're still looking forward to ending the year well and hopefully defending our Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title in London."
No. 1 ATP Doubles Teams (since 2000)
2010 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2009 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2008 -- Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic
2007 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2006 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2005 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2004 -- Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor
2003 -- Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan
2002 -- Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor
2001 -- Jonas Bjorkman/Todd Woodbridge
2000 -- Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde
Bryan Brothers to Return to River Oaks in 2011
BRYAN BROTHERS TO PLAY FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE AT RIVER OAKS
US Men’s Clay Court Championship Website Re-launched at www.mensclaycourt.com
HOUSTON – The record-setting World No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan will return to River Oaks Country Club to defend their back-to-back US Men’s Clay Court Championship titles on April 4-10, 2011.
In 2010, the Bryans are a perfect 11-0 in ATP World Tour finals, including a second straight title at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship and their third overall. The Bryans, who did not play Houston in 2008, have won 12-straight matches at River Oaks, and are the second team to have won three USMCCC titles, joining Clark Graebner and Marty Reissen.
This season marks the sixth time in eight years the Bryans will finish as the ATP World Tour No. 1 team, and their 11 titles for the year matches their career high.
For their career, the Bryans have 67 titles together, surpassing the previous record of 61 held by 2010 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.
“The Bryans have enjoyed a tremendous season, and we’re thrilled to have been a part of it when they won here at River Oaks earlier this year,” said Tournament Director Van Barry. “The twins are champions on and off the court, and we are very excited that they will return to Houston in April for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.”
In each of their past two visits to Houston, the Bryans have done more than simply win the title. In 2009 and 2010, the Bryan Brothers Band has rocked the River Oaks with a nighttime, poolside concert.
News of the Bryans return is the top story on the re-launched US Men’s Clay Court Championship: www.mensclaycourt.com. This enhanced version of the tournament’s internet home includes more features for fans, including more history, bigger pictures and a format that is easier to use and read.
Season tickets for the 2011 are on sale now. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294
US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club
The 102nd competition for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be held April 4-10, 2011, at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Started by the USTA in 1910, it has been held at numerous venues around the country. The tournament has been held in Houston since 2001, and will be held at River Oaks Country Club for the third straight year. Prior to hosting the US Men’s Clay Court Championship, River Oaks Country Club hosted its own event, The River Oaks International. Started in 1931, the River Oaks International roster of former champions includes Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas and James Blake. The 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be the 77th tournament at River Oaks, with the club hosting a tournament every year since 1946 after a four-year lapse due to the war. More information is available at www.mensclaycourt.com. The tournament can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mensclaycourt or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mensclaycourt.
DOUBLE IMPACT
DEUCE
Sixty-seven team titles, 200 weeks at No. 1 and an unbreakable bond – no wonder the Bryan brothers are always doing the chest-bump.
What with all that chest-bumping, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan must have some pretty sore ribs. Together they’ve now won a grand total of 67 doubles titles on the ATP World Tour, more than any other doubles team in history. And how do they celebrate each victory? With a trademark chest-bump, of course.
Defending champions here at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the Bryans are without doubt the most close-knit of all the doubles teams on the tour. Not surprising, really, since they are identical twins. As another doubles specialist once observed: “You could have been playing doubles your whole life and you’d still have been together nine months less than Mike and Bob.”
It’s a watertight bond that has helped them to stunning success on the tennis court. Their 67 titles together include nine Grand Slams. Altogether they’ve won over 650 tour-level matches and have been ranked the World No. 1 doubles team for more than 200 weeks.
It’s thanks to their parents that the two brothers compete so well together. Growing up in California, they were forbidden from playing singles against each other in tournaments. “We met in the finals of hundreds of tournaments growing up,” Mike says. “We couldn’t play the final match, so we’d default and take both the winner’s and runner’s-up trophies home. My parents didn’t want us to become enemies and competitors.”
Bob says doubles victories always felt better than individual singles wins. “If one of us won at singles then the other would be pissed or jealous,” he adds. “It was a lot easier if we could just win a doubles tournament together.” Nowadays, the only time they face one another on the court is in mixed doubles.
Even prize money is shared, all of it going into the same bank account. And their main off-court activity, playing in a soft rock band (the Bryan Bros Band) is a joint effort too. Last year they released their first EP, featuring Bob on bass guitar, Mike on drums, and fellow Californian David Baron on piano, acoustic guitar and vocals.Living out of each other’s pockets off the court reinforces the strength of the twins’ relationship on the court. It’s a massive advantage they have over other doubles teams. “A lot of teams stay at different houses, they do their own thing, maybe they don’t know where they stand on different issues,” Bob explains. “If they have a few bad weeks then they’re going to split apart. We know we’re never going to split up, so there’s more security and we’re tighter.”
Watching them here at The O2, you’ll immediately notice how they attack the ball and cover the court in almost perfect harmony. You may, however, struggle to tell them apart. Bob is one inch taller, left-handed and, as his brother says, “slightly chubbier”. He covers the advantage court. Mike, on the deuce court, is right-handed, 10lbs lighter and, despite being two minutes older, a good inch shorter. “I had to stay in an incubator for a couple of weeks after I was born,” he says. “I think Bob had me in a head-lock in the womb.”
ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team (based on year-end 2010 ATP Doubles Team Rankings)
Bryans Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan: The American twins finished as ATP World Tour Doubles No. 1 for a record sixth time in eight years (2003, '05-07, '09-10), compiling an 11-0 finals record. Their titles included the Australian Open, US Open and four ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (Rome, Madrid, Toronto, Cincinnati). They have won at least five titles in nine straight seasons. The Bryans broke Aussie Hall of Famers Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde’s team record of 61 titles by winning in Los Angeles on Aug. 1. They have a career record of 67-38 in finals.
Bob Bryan poślubił Michelle Alvarez
32-letni Bob Bryan, który razem z bratem bliźniakiem Mikem tworzy najlepszy aktualnie debel świata, poślubił w poniedziałek w Miami Michelle Alvarez. O zmianie stanu cywilnego amerykański tenisista poinformował stosownymi wpisami na Twitterze.
W ostatnich miesiącach amerykańska prasa kilkakrotnie pisała o zaręczynach, planach matrymonialnych oraz pomyśle na spędzenie miesiąca miodowego w Tajlandii. Jednak wyraźnie dziennikarze przespali samą ceremonię, w której uczestniczyła najbliższa rodzina i wąskie grono przyjaciół.
"Tę ciszę przerwał dopiero wpis na popularnym komunikatorze: "Uwaga, to oficjalna wiadomość! Możecie gratulować Panu i Pani Bryan! Zrobiliśmy to!"
Kilka godzin później zdjęcia potwierdzające ożenek pojawiły się na jego profilu na portalu społecznościowym Facebook. Na stronie Mike'a, znalazł się za to lekko ironiczny komentarz, o presji, jaką swoją decyzją wywiera brat: wiadomo było, że kiedyś będziemy się żenić i nasz wspólny dom będziemy dzielić z naszymi żonami. Ale to nie znaczy, że od razu muszę iść w ślady Boba.
Również Mike od wielu lat jest poważnie związany, a jego wybranka ma na imię Lucille. Jednak na razie się jeszcze nie zaręczyli.
Amerykańscy bracia ostatni sezon - najlepszy w ich karierze - zakończyli na pierwszym miejscu w obydwu rankingach ATP Tour. Wygrali w nim 11 turniejów, w swoich 11 występach w finałach.
Bryans to miss their South American debut due to injury
Injury bad luck has forced the doubles-dominating Bryan brothers to withdraw from the ATP South American debut due to an injury to Bob's left shoulder.
The 32-year-old twin is expected to be out of action for a month, putting him back on track for a return to tennis at the Indian Wells Masters in March.
The Bryans had been tweeting their excitement about travelling to Brazil for the Costa do Sauipe event on clay. Officials said the American played his last three doubles matches with his brother in Melbourne after "taking high doses of pain medication."
The Bryans won their fifth Australian Open title at the weekend, which marked their tenth Grand Slam trophy, a total which carries them to within one title of Australians Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge at the majors. The Californians have stood No. 1 in the doubles table for the past eight seasons.
THE LAST TIME... WITH THE BRYANSDEUCE
Bob and Mike Bryan pose with their ATPWorldTour.com Fans' Favourite Award
at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in November.
I bought tennis balls or rented a tennis court?
[Mike] We have to buys balls back at our club in Camarillo. We did that a couple of weeks ago. We paid to rent a court in Miami last year. We knew the owner of the club, but he wasn’t there. The person at the desk couldn’t believe that we knew him and she charged us $100. We said, ‘We’re the Bryan Bros.’ and she was like ‘I don’t care.’ (laughing).
I queued for tickets?
[Bob] I queued for Jersey Boys in London. There was a big line outside the box office. But the wait was probably only 15 minutes.
I lost something important?
[Bob] This week in Sydney I lost my wallet for a couple of hours. I was back at the hotel and my coach rang to say he’d found it on site. I also lost my phone, but luckily it was returned. So it’s been a big week, really.
I missed a flight?
[Mike] Can’t recall missing a flight, but we’ve run down the terminal many times. If we weren’t such good athletes we’d have missed a lot (laughing). Our speed is pretty good in the airports.
I cooked for myself?
[Bob] Never.
[Mike] I made myself cereal this morning but that’s all I can do. We have a great kitchen, but we’ve never used it. It’s always the girls [Bob’s wife Michelle and Mike’s girlfriend Lucille.]
I visited a country for the first time?
[Bob] Thailand last week. We were there for an exhibition and training and had a great time. We rode an elephant, went to the Monkey Temple, fed the monks on the beach at sunrise, held a baby tiger. We did a bunch of stuff.
I asked someone for their autograph?
[Mike] At the Olympics we asked Kobe Bryant for his autograph and a picture.
I forgot a family member or close friend’s birthday?
[Bob] I’m really bad with birthdays. I know the birthdays of my wife, mom, dad, brother and his girlfriend and that’s about it.
[Mike] I know Agassi’s birthday.
I played a practical joke in the locker room?
[Mike] I put something in John Isner’s shoe. I can’t tell you what it was, though. You’d think less of me!
I played a sport other than tennis that had the potential for injury, albeit minor?
[Mike] Basketball at Gimelstob’s house in New Jersey. It was two-on-two.
I was asked if I was a tennis player?
[Bob] Every day. People will say, ‘You look like athletes’. We say, ‘We play doubles’. They say, ‘Oh, really?’
[Mike] Yesterday at Nandos [chicken restaurant] someone had a [Sydney] tournament program and asked, ‘Are you guys in this? What’s your name? Can you sign it?’ That always makes you feel special.
Bryans Clinch 70th Team Title With Second Monte-Carlo Win
The Bryans won their 18th
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.
World No. 1 duo Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan clinched their 70th tour-level team title on Sunday as they won the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters title for a second time with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over unseeded South American pairing Juan Ignacio Chela and Bruno Soares.
Of their 70 titles together, 18 have come at the elite ATP World Tour Masters 1000 level, placing them joint second with Todd Woodbridge on the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 doubles title leaders list (since 1990). Daniel Nestor leads the way with 24 of the coveted titles.
The Americans were contesting the final at the Monte-Carlo Country Club for the fourth time. They also won the title in 2007 (d. Benneteau-Gasquet) and finished runners-up in 2005 (l. to Paes-Zimonjic) and 2009 (l. to Nestor-Zimonjic).
“It feels great to win title No. 70, but even better to beat an experienced clay-court team in one of our favourite tournaments of the year,” said Bob Bryan. “Thanks to Prince Albert for staying to watch the doubles final, we really appreciate it.”
Mike Bryan added, “We’re very happy to play so well in Monte-Carlo; it’s been a while since we’ve won here. We’re feeling really good on the clay and we’re looking forward to the rest of the clay-court season.”
Victory brought the Bryans their third tour-level title of the season and their second in as many weeks. They won their 10th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open (d. Bhupathi-Paes) in January and opened their clay-court campaign last week with success in Houston (d. Isner-Querrey).
Chela and Soares, who upset two seeded teams en route to the final, made the better start to the match, breaking to lead 2-1. But the South Americans had no chance to build on their lead as the Bryans quickly levelled and broke serve again in the seventh game to take a one-set lead. Capitalising on their momentum, the Bryans swiftly opened up a 2-0 lead in the second set and went on to close out victory on Mike Bryan’s serve, after saving three break points, in 54 minutes.
“There was a lot of crazy points out there,” reflected Bob Bryan. “I think the fans had a good time because there was a lot of contrast of styles – baseline points, big serves, drop volleys. I just felt like we were having fun and when we’re having fun we play our best tennis.
Chela and Soares were both contesting their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals. The 31-year-old Chela dropped to a 3-3 record in ATP World Tour doubles finals, while the 29-year-old Soares slipped to a 5-7 mark.
In his runner-up speech, Soares said, “First of all I want to thank my partner, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a great honour to play the finals here in Monte-Carlo against the No. 1 team in the world.”
Mike Bryan odniósł dzisiaj swoje 700 zwycięstwo w Tourze! Gratulacje. :applause:
BRYANS WIN FOURTH QUEEN'S TITLE; EARN HARD-FOUGHT WIN OVER BHUPATHI-PAES
The Bryans performed double duty on Saturday at the AEGON Championships.
Top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won their fourth AEGON Championships title with a hard-fought 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 10-6 win over third-seeded Indians Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes on Monday.
The Americans lifted their fifth title of the season (5-2), having also beaten Bhupathi and Paes in January's Australian Open final. The duo also improved to 72-40 in career doubles finals.
One set and 4-2 up, 37-year-old Bhupathi gifted the Bryans a break of serve with the team's third double fault of the match. But the Indians looked to have regained their composure when they took a 3-1 lead in the Match Tie-break.
However, the Bryans responded and won seven straight points reversing a 2-5 deficit into a 9-5 lead. They recorded their 25th match win at the ATP World Tour 250 grass-court tennis tournament with victory in one hour and 44 minutes.
The Bryans were playing at The Queen's Club for the 12th time in 13 years. They had previously won the title in 2001, 2004-05.
They hit six aces and won 68 per cent of their service points, saving six of nine break points. Bhupathi and Paes, who struck nine aces and won three fewer points (85) than the victors, dropped to a 20-6 match record on the year.
Bhupathi and Paes dropped to a 25-12 record in finals together. Bhupathi is 48-40 lifetime in title matches, while Paes - also aged 37 - is 46-34 in finals. Bhupathi was also a runner-up with Max Mirnyi in 2002 and 2003.
BRYANS ADVANCE TO FIFTH WIMBLEDON FINAL
Top seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan advanced to their fifth Wimbledon final, but were pushed to a five-set battle by No. 6 seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic on Friday. The Bryans hung on to win 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-7(4), 9-7 in three hours and 37 minutes.
The 2006 champions held three match points in the third set tie-break, but Llodra and Zimonjic denied the twins a straight-sets victory. After winning the fourth set, the French-Serbian tandem opened a 4-1 lead in the fifth set, before the Bryans clawed their way back to even the set at 4-4. Finally, in the 15th game, the No. 1 seeds broke and then Mike Bryan served it out to clinch the victory.
The Bryans will look to win their second title at the All England Club on Saturday when they face 8th-seeded Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau, who are appearing in the final for the second year in a row. Should the Americans win their 11th major championship, they will tie Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde for the most Grand Slam team titles.
Llodra and Zimonjic, both former champions at The Championships, were aiming to reach their first major final together. Llodra claimed the 2007 title with Arnaud Clement and Zimonjic triumped in 2008 and 2009 with Daniel Nestor.
#73 Wimbledon 2011
1R: Gonzalez/ Starace 6-3 6-3
2R: Bolgomolov Jr/ Karlovic 7-6 6-4 7-5
3R: Aspelin/ Hanley 6-3 4-6 6-7 6-3 16-14
QF: Melzer/ Petzschner 6-3 6-4 6-4
SF: Llodra/ Zimonjić 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7
W: Lindstedt/ Tecau 6-3 6-4 7-6
Drugi Wimbledon i 11 Szlem Bryanów ;)
Bracia wyrównali rekord Woodbridge'a i Woodforde'a w ilości wygranych tytułów wielkoszlemowych. Jest to rekord Ery Open w ilości wspólnie zdobytych tytułów Wielkiego Szlema.
Wywiad z Bryanami po zwycięstwie w Wimbledonie
Bryan, Bryan bt. Lindstedt, Tecau 6 3, 6 4, 7 6
Q. How will you summarize the game today?
MIKE BRYAN: Well, I mean, it was an early break in the first two sets, so we got off out of the blocks pretty quick. We're a good front running team, so that give us a lot of confidence.
From yesterday we didn't have a lot in our legs. We knew we had to finish it off in three or four.
You know, it was a big serving match. Came down to the breaker in the third. We played a good breaker.
Q. The third set was a problem.
BOB BRYAN: It was tight. Those guys started serving well. They had a day to think about the match, which might have hurt them in a way, 'cause they came out a little over probably jacked and they hit some double faults.
We got the early break, and sometimes that's all it takes on grass. We played a five setter yesterday. We didn't have a chance to think about it or get nervous about it. We came out there in rhythm from yesterday's match, which helped us.
Q. There's no truth to the rumour that the 11th is easiest, is there?
MIKE BRYAN: No. But it was (laughter).
Q. For those of us who weren't able to follow you, so many ups and downs having to play so many matches. Can you summarize the week.
MIKE BRYAN: It was a tough week. I mean, the first week we were on the schedule three days in a row TBA and we didn't play. We knew it was going to get busy in the second week.
One match was two days long, the 16 14. We were taking one at a time. We were scraping and clawing. We didn't have a lot of time to even think about the next round. We were getting back from the courts at 10:00 at night, massaging, ice bathing, and just waking up and coming right back out to the courts.
We played 1:00 and noon maybe four days in a row.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, now that I think about it, our two Wimbledon titles we came from a break down in the fifth. The times we've cruised to the finals we've lost, so it's weird how that works.
Q. This must be one of your best performances in a Grand Slam final.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah. I mean, we've had a couple good ones. This one felt really good. We weren't really threatened on our serve. I don't think we faced a breakpoint, did we?
BOB BRYAN: I don't think so.
MIKE BRYAN: So this one was definitely pretty smooth. US Open 2005 I think we won in under an hour.
Q. You played pretty traditional doubles, no I formation, just...
MIKE BRYAN: No, we don't like to talk a lot. We just like to keep it simple. We play quick and in rhythm. We're too big to get down in the I formation. We're too slow to get out of there (laughter).
BOB BRYAN: We're one of the last surviving kind of traditional teams. A lot of the teams are going to the I. I would say 80, 90% of the guys are down in the middle of the court, playing that kind of brand. So we're one of the last guys left.
Q. There's a chance for error in that.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, you can get lit up by a great returning team. Sometimes it's kind of a bluff to hide weaknesses in your serve and volley game. We just have to play straight up.
Q. Are you easing out of the chest bump now?
MIKE BRYAN: We did one in every match up until the final. Did we do one?
BOB BRYAN: I think so.
MIKE BRYAN: We're not phasing it out. I mean, I don't know even know what we did when we won. I just think I put my arms up and we hugged, but it's a blur.
Q. There's a shiny bobble on your finger. Can you talk about how that's changed things? Are you still in the same house?
MIKE BRYAN: Well, Bob's married. He lives in Miami now. I'm on the West Coast. We're on different coasts, which is different, but we're always together on the road. We haven't been home since January.
I eventually want to be near Bob. I think I'm going to try to get him to come to California again.
When you moving back?
BOB BRYAN: I don't know, man. I'm trying to convince this guy to come to Florida and he's trying to convince me.
But, yeah, I mean, it feels the same.
Q. So preparation wise just...
BOB BRYAN: We're still committed to our tennis, and we're working as hard as ever. You know, I'm married. We're still all travelling together. He's got his girl with him 52 weeks out of the year. We're in the same house right now. We're all getting along great, which is good.
It's not easy for everyone living together. It's not natural, I mean, for the girls. They have to be twins pretty much, because they're hanging out nonstop.
But, you know, this week it was smooth. It's not going to change for a while. We're going to be in this meat grinder for another four or five years.
Q. Mike, no pressure for you to settle down here?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, there is. Thanks for bringing it up. I've got a limited amount of time.
BOB BRYAN: Shot clock is running down.
MIKE BRYAN: End of the year is going to get hairy.
Q. Can you talk about the meaning of this one? It's No. 11, a significant marker. Do they become a blur? It's been a while since you got one here. Talk about the meaning of this one.
MIKE BRYAN: I mean, this is a Wimbledon title. This is as special as it gets. You know, I always thought we'd play our best at Wimbledon, and we've lost three heartbreaking finals. To get on that board again, to have two Wimbledon titles, is really special.
And then to equal the Woodies, a team that we idolized, the greatest team in our mind, is unbelievable. I mean, to get their title record and get the Grand Slam record, I mean, I'm trying to figure out what's left.
I mean, we'd love to try to get to 12 and do that at the Open, but those guys have been really gracious. They're the first to come up to us and congratulate us. Mark was in L.A. when we broke the 61 record.
But, you know, it's all a blur. This week was just so quick. We weren't even thinking about 11 until Mark Woodforde came up and said, Congrats on getting that 11th.
Q. And why the problems here?
BOB BRYAN: I think, you know, you feel like you're playing with the house chips. You get over that tough one where you could have lost, it kind of releases a bunch of pressure. When you win something big in a casino you keep pushing, you know.
That's what it feels like, you know. Sometimes in these tournaments when you're down match points you feel like you've faced death. I don't know, it brings something out of you, your best stuff.
But as far as why we've struggled here, I don't think we've struggled. I mean, ten times I think we've been in the semi-finals or better. It's just getting over that hump, which, I don't know, I think you always need a little bit of luck to win a slam. A lot of guys talk about that.
The Huss Moodie was one we should have won, but we kind of underestimated those guys and they they nipped us in the butt [sic]. The others ones were just big serving matches against Nestor , Zimonjic, and Llodra.
So I don't know, I'll take these two. I'm happy with these two. Next year we'll go for the third. But this is very sweet for us.
Q. How many match points did you survive total here?
BOB BRYAN: None.
MIKE BRYAN: We were down 4 1 in the fifth yesterday. We weren't down any match points.
Q. Mike, you looked a little irritable yesterday.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, we knew that the final is the next day; we wanted to finish it off in straights. We had three match points in the third set breaker. They were weird match points.
One Bob hit around the net pole. It was just crazy. So we were getting pretty frustrated.
BOB BRYAN: Starting chirping a little bit to each other.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, started talking to each other. I'm never going to play with you again (laughter).
And then, you know, just a little bit of luck at 4 2.
BOB BRYAN: Sometimes when yeah, we were chirping, chirping, and then you're down a break.
MIKE BRYAN: You just loosen up.
BOB BRYAN: It kind of goes quiet, goes calm. You don't hear anything.
MIKE BRYAN: I started putting my towels in my bag on the changeover because I didn't want to forget my extra towel. I have 15 of them, but I got a lot of friends back home.
So once I started doing that we hadn't broken in over an hour and a half, two hours, so I didn't think we were going to break again. So I don't know.
Q. Have you ever talked of retirement?
BOB BRYAN: You know, we talk about it a lot. I think we can see the finish line now, which makes it easier to work hard. We see our time out here as I think five or six more years. You look at Nestor. He's 39, almost turning 40. The guy's just having a great time still and he's playing well.
I think eight years ago, Don Johnson, at 32, was the oldest guy on the tour. But doubles players' career lifespan has changed. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the scoring, the way the game is set up with the ranking system.
I think we're going to milk it as long as we can. We've talked to veterans that have retired, like Eltingh or Haarhuis. They're guys are like, Jeez, I wish we would have kept going.
We'll keep going.
Q. Do you two get along outside tennis?
BOB BRYAN: Yes, we do.
MIKE BRYAN: Yes.
Q. There must be a bad time there.
BOB BRYAN: No, we get along.
MIKE BRYAN: We do. We walk in the house, we go into the music room and we're jamming at night for a half hour.
First thing in the morning, I hear Bob on the piano, and I go down there and I plug in my guitar. Yeah, I mean, we have a blast together. We share the same DNA.
I mean, we have our fights, but...
Q. You mentioned Nestor. The average age is obviously up there. Are there prospects? Are there Ryan Harrisons and Dimitrovs of doubles where you are like, This is the next generation?
BOB BRYAN: Unfortunately that has kind of changed with the singles players infusing doubles has cut a lot of jobs. It's hard with the way the rankings system is set up.
If you're not playing Masters Series and going deep in slams you're not in the top 20, which is where you need to be in doubles to really make a great living.
It's hard. There's not a lot of guys coming up like we did, that are committed to doubles, that are able to break in.
Q. Any singles guys like 50 to 80 that you say, This guy, if he doesn't cut it in singles, he's got a future in doubles?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, Raonic (laughter).
Yeah, I mean, everyone when they come on the tour, they're like, I'm going to go singles. I mean, there's a few nasty guys, if they wanted to go to doubles...
Yeah, I mean, like Federer, if he wanted to...
Q. He's still top 50, I think.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, sometimes it's like a pride thing for these guys. When their singles start to taper off, they're never like, Nah, I'm just going to go just play doubles.
For us it was an early decision. Yeah, I mean, there's a bunch of guys that could probably do it. If they could focus on doubles, they could make a lot of money and have a great career. It's a pride thing. We're singles players, and I don't feel like I'm a player if I'm just playing doubles.
Q. Do you have an idea in your head of how many slams you can win?
MIKE BRYAN: It's been a good last few years. We won two last year. I think we've been in the finals of the Aussie Open seven of the last eight years. The doubles specialists, they're aging, and we're still on the young side at 33. You know, I think we're hitting our peak. We won 11 titles last year.
We haven't set a goal, like we want to get to 16 or Federer's number or whatever.
BOB BRYAN: Taking it one match at a time.
Q. Azarenka told us a tear jerker story about her grandma. When you get in touch with your grandmother and she asks about your experience at Wimbledon this year, what do you say?
BOB BRYAN: This title, my grandpa just went in for surgery on Wednesday. He's almost pushing 90. We have four grandparents that are pushing 90.
MIKE BRYAN: They're all 90.
BOB BRYAN: He went in for a serious surgery. He had a cancerous tumor cut out. He went in the hospital, so this one was for him. Right before he went in for the surgery, we won that 16 14 in the fifth.
I know he was really scared to go in, and he's like, Take me, I don't care. We feel like in some certain way, we're keeping them going with our tennis. My grandma has marked off every point we ever played in our whole career, which is wild. She's got a stack of yellow note pads this deep.
So they're following it closely. Whatever we can do to keep them happy, give them a little joy.
Q. What's her name?
MIKE BRYAN: It's Alice Bryan.
Q. Have you been talking to Todd Woodbridge at all?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, we see him every day in the locker room. See more of Mark.
Q. Any jawing about the record?
MIKE BRYAN: No, they're always supportive. Mark, before we walked out there, he looked us in the eyes, he's like, Good luck, really sincere, which makes us feel good.
They're not jealous about their records. You know, they have their place in history. They're in the Hall of Fame. They won six Wimbledons. I mean, they have a case, and they're the best team, you know.
We have a case now, obviously. But they're really cool guys.
Q. What do you think when you hear people talk about Roger, of course he's slowing down because he's nearing 30? As you said, you're on the young side of 33. Secondly, you have Tiger following Jack, and Roger was pretty outspoken about how he was chasing Pete's titles. Why do you not look at the titles?
MIKE BRYAN: We do. I mean, we do. This is our first press conference of the tournament (laughter).
BOB BRYAN: I mean, that 61 record was big on the horizon. Right after we broke their record, we were looking at this 11. We did that pretty quick. We're tied with those guys.
I don't know, it's an honor. We just got to let it seep in a little bit. Every slam we give a hundred percent. We don't want to say we're going for 20 because if we don't get there, it's going to be a letdown.
We're happy with what we've done. We're not content or satisfied. But, you know, we have smiles on our faces when we walk by our trophy case in the morning. I mean, how this career has gone has been a storybook for us.
Q. You're one ahead of Nadal now in slam titles. Is catching Federer possible, 16?
BOB BRYAN: No, it's not. That's an ugly number, man.
MIKE BRYAN: That's way up there.
Q. Who do you like in the singles tomorrow?
MIKE BRYAN: I don't know. I think Djokovic has had his number this year. Maybe he's got a little bit of a mental edge. But, you know, he's really happy he's No. 1 now. He could let down.
BOB BRYAN: He's a good buddy of ours, Djokovic. Nadal has his locker right next to us. He came up and said good luck to us. They're both good guys.
MIKE BRYAN: They're both really loose, too. They're relaxed and joking around.
BOB BRYAN: Hitting a lot of putts in the locker room, so...
Q. Talk about Davis Cup.
MIKE BRYAN: We're going straight to Austin in the morning. We're going to miss the ball. All the guys are already there getting ready. So we're excited. We're going to be talking about this for the next 24 hours then right to Davis Cup.
BOB BRYAN: We keep telling Courier, he's texting us, like, Way to go guys. We're like, one more practice match and then we'll see you in Austin. This is just the warmup, the under card for Austin.
Yeah, we're going to switch gears and get back in Davis Cup mode, which is going to be wild because we've been over here for three months. You might want to go blow it out and party, but no, back to business tomorrow.
Q. How is Novak's impression of you guys?
MIKE BRYAN: I'm sure he's done it in the locker room. Yeah, chest bump (smiling). Yeah, he's probably done it, but we haven't seen it yet.
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Bryan, Bryan bt. Lindstedt, Tecau 6 3, 6 4, 7 6
Q. How will you summarize the game today?
MIKE BRYAN: Well, I mean, it was an early break in the first two sets, so we got off out of the blocks pretty quick. We're a good front running team, so that give us a lot of confidence.
From yesterday we didn't have a lot in our legs. We knew we had to finish it off in three or four.
You know, it was a big serving match. Came down to the breaker in the third. We played a good breaker.
Q. The third set was a problem.
BOB BRYAN: It was tight. Those guys started serving well. They had a day to think about the match, which might have hurt them in a way, 'cause they came out a little over probably jacked and they hit some double faults.
We got the early break, and sometimes that's all it takes on grass. We played a five setter yesterday. We didn't have a chance to think about it or get nervous about it. We came out there in rhythm from yesterday's match, which helped us.
Q. There's no truth to the rumour that the 11th is easiest, is there?
MIKE BRYAN: No. But it was (laughter).
Q. For those of us who weren't able to follow you, so many ups and downs having to play so many matches. Can you summarize the week.
MIKE BRYAN: It was a tough week. I mean, the first week we were on the schedule three days in a row TBA and we didn't play. We knew it was going to get busy in the second week.
One match was two days long, the 16 14. We were taking one at a time. We were scraping and clawing. We didn't have a lot of time to even think about the next round. We were getting back from the courts at 10:00 at night, massaging, ice bathing, and just waking up and coming right back out to the courts.
We played 1:00 and noon maybe four days in a row.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, now that I think about it, our two Wimbledon titles we came from a break down in the fifth. The times we've cruised to the finals we've lost, so it's weird how that works.
Q. This must be one of your best performances in a Grand Slam final.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah. I mean, we've had a couple good ones. This one felt really good. We weren't really threatened on our serve. I don't think we faced a breakpoint, did we?
BOB BRYAN: I don't think so.
MIKE BRYAN: So this one was definitely pretty smooth. US Open 2005 I think we won in under an hour.
Q. You played pretty traditional doubles, no I formation, just...
MIKE BRYAN: No, we don't like to talk a lot. We just like to keep it simple. We play quick and in rhythm. We're too big to get down in the I formation. We're too slow to get out of there (laughter).
BOB BRYAN: We're one of the last surviving kind of traditional teams. A lot of the teams are going to the I. I would say 80, 90% of the guys are down in the middle of the court, playing that kind of brand. So we're one of the last guys left.
Q. There's a chance for error in that.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, you can get lit up by a great returning team. Sometimes it's kind of a bluff to hide weaknesses in your serve and volley game. We just have to play straight up.
Q. Are you easing out of the chest bump now?
MIKE BRYAN: We did one in every match up until the final. Did we do one?
BOB BRYAN: I think so.
MIKE BRYAN: We're not phasing it out. I mean, I don't know even know what we did when we won. I just think I put my arms up and we hugged, but it's a blur.
Q. There's a shiny bobble on your finger. Can you talk about how that's changed things? Are you still in the same house?
MIKE BRYAN: Well, Bob's married. He lives in Miami now. I'm on the West Coast. We're on different coasts, which is different, but we're always together on the road. We haven't been home since January.
I eventually want to be near Bob. I think I'm going to try to get him to come to California again.
When you moving back?
BOB BRYAN: I don't know, man. I'm trying to convince this guy to come to Florida and he's trying to convince me.
But, yeah, I mean, it feels the same.
Q. So preparation wise just...
BOB BRYAN: We're still committed to our tennis, and we're working as hard as ever. You know, I'm married. We're still all travelling together. He's got his girl with him 52 weeks out of the year. We're in the same house right now. We're all getting along great, which is good.
It's not easy for everyone living together. It's not natural, I mean, for the girls. They have to be twins pretty much, because they're hanging out nonstop.
But, you know, this week it was smooth. It's not going to change for a while. We're going to be in this meat grinder for another four or five years.
Q. Mike, no pressure for you to settle down here?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, there is. Thanks for bringing it up. I've got a limited amount of time.
BOB BRYAN: Shot clock is running down.
MIKE BRYAN: End of the year is going to get hairy.
Q. Can you talk about the meaning of this one? It's No. 11, a significant marker. Do they become a blur? It's been a while since you got one here. Talk about the meaning of this one.
MIKE BRYAN: I mean, this is a Wimbledon title. This is as special as it gets. You know, I always thought we'd play our best at Wimbledon, and we've lost three heartbreaking finals. To get on that board again, to have two Wimbledon titles, is really special.
And then to equal the Woodies, a team that we idolized, the greatest team in our mind, is unbelievable. I mean, to get their title record and get the Grand Slam record, I mean, I'm trying to figure out what's left.
I mean, we'd love to try to get to 12 and do that at the Open, but those guys have been really gracious. They're the first to come up to us and congratulate us. Mark was in L.A. when we broke the 61 record.
But, you know, it's all a blur. This week was just so quick. We weren't even thinking about 11 until Mark Woodforde came up and said, Congrats on getting that 11th.
Q. And why the problems here?
BOB BRYAN: I think, you know, you feel like you're playing with the house chips. You get over that tough one where you could have lost, it kind of releases a bunch of pressure. When you win something big in a casino you keep pushing, you know.
That's what it feels like, you know. Sometimes in these tournaments when you're down match points you feel like you've faced death. I don't know, it brings something out of you, your best stuff.
But as far as why we've struggled here, I don't think we've struggled. I mean, ten times I think we've been in the semi-finals or better. It's just getting over that hump, which, I don't know, I think you always need a little bit of luck to win a slam. A lot of guys talk about that.
The Huss Moodie was one we should have won, but we kind of underestimated those guys and they they nipped us in the butt [sic]. The others ones were just big serving matches against Nestor , Zimonjic, and Llodra.
So I don't know, I'll take these two. I'm happy with these two. Next year we'll go for the third. But this is very sweet for us.
Q. How many match points did you survive total here?
BOB BRYAN: None.
MIKE BRYAN: We were down 4 1 in the fifth yesterday. We weren't down any match points.
Q. Mike, you looked a little irritable yesterday.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, we knew that the final is the next day; we wanted to finish it off in straights. We had three match points in the third set breaker. They were weird match points.
One Bob hit around the net pole. It was just crazy. So we were getting pretty frustrated.
BOB BRYAN: Starting chirping a little bit to each other.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, started talking to each other. I'm never going to play with you again (laughter).
And then, you know, just a little bit of luck at 4 2.
BOB BRYAN: Sometimes when yeah, we were chirping, chirping, and then you're down a break.
MIKE BRYAN: You just loosen up.
BOB BRYAN: It kind of goes quiet, goes calm. You don't hear anything.
MIKE BRYAN: I started putting my towels in my bag on the changeover because I didn't want to forget my extra towel. I have 15 of them, but I got a lot of friends back home.
So once I started doing that we hadn't broken in over an hour and a half, two hours, so I didn't think we were going to break again. So I don't know.
Q. Have you ever talked of retirement?
BOB BRYAN: You know, we talk about it a lot. I think we can see the finish line now, which makes it easier to work hard. We see our time out here as I think five or six more years. You look at Nestor. He's 39, almost turning 40. The guy's just having a great time still and he's playing well.
I think eight years ago, Don Johnson, at 32, was the oldest guy on the tour. But doubles players' career lifespan has changed. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the scoring, the way the game is set up with the ranking system.
I think we're going to milk it as long as we can. We've talked to veterans that have retired, like Eltingh or Haarhuis. They're guys are like, Jeez, I wish we would have kept going.
We'll keep going.
Q. Do you two get along outside tennis?
BOB BRYAN: Yes, we do.
MIKE BRYAN: Yes.
Q. There must be a bad time there.
BOB BRYAN: No, we get along.
MIKE BRYAN: We do. We walk in the house, we go into the music room and we're jamming at night for a half hour.
First thing in the morning, I hear Bob on the piano, and I go down there and I plug in my guitar. Yeah, I mean, we have a blast together. We share the same DNA.
I mean, we have our fights, but...
Q. You mentioned Nestor. The average age is obviously up there. Are there prospects? Are there Ryan Harrisons and Dimitrovs of doubles where you are like, This is the next generation?
BOB BRYAN: Unfortunately that has kind of changed with the singles players infusing doubles has cut a lot of jobs. It's hard with the way the rankings system is set up.
If you're not playing Masters Series and going deep in slams you're not in the top 20, which is where you need to be in doubles to really make a great living.
It's hard. There's not a lot of guys coming up like we did, that are committed to doubles, that are able to break in.
Q. Any singles guys like 50 to 80 that you say, This guy, if he doesn't cut it in singles, he's got a future in doubles?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, Raonic (laughter).
Yeah, I mean, everyone when they come on the tour, they're like, I'm going to go singles. I mean, there's a few nasty guys, if they wanted to go to doubles...
Yeah, I mean, like Federer, if he wanted to...
Q. He's still top 50, I think.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, sometimes it's like a pride thing for these guys. When their singles start to taper off, they're never like, Nah, I'm just going to go just play doubles.
For us it was an early decision. Yeah, I mean, there's a bunch of guys that could probably do it. If they could focus on doubles, they could make a lot of money and have a great career. It's a pride thing. We're singles players, and I don't feel like I'm a player if I'm just playing doubles.
Q. Do you have an idea in your head of how many slams you can win?
MIKE BRYAN: It's been a good last few years. We won two last year. I think we've been in the finals of the Aussie Open seven of the last eight years. The doubles specialists, they're aging, and we're still on the young side at 33. You know, I think we're hitting our peak. We won 11 titles last year.
We haven't set a goal, like we want to get to 16 or Federer's number or whatever.
BOB BRYAN: Taking it one match at a time.
Q. Azarenka told us a tear jerker story about her grandma. When you get in touch with your grandmother and she asks about your experience at Wimbledon this year, what do you say?
BOB BRYAN: This title, my grandpa just went in for surgery on Wednesday. He's almost pushing 90. We have four grandparents that are pushing 90.
MIKE BRYAN: They're all 90.
BOB BRYAN: He went in for a serious surgery. He had a cancerous tumor cut out. He went in the hospital, so this one was for him. Right before he went in for the surgery, we won that 16 14 in the fifth.
I know he was really scared to go in, and he's like, Take me, I don't care. We feel like in some certain way, we're keeping them going with our tennis. My grandma has marked off every point we ever played in our whole career, which is wild. She's got a stack of yellow note pads this deep.
So they're following it closely. Whatever we can do to keep them happy, give them a little joy.
Q. What's her name?
MIKE BRYAN: It's Alice Bryan.
Q. Have you been talking to Todd Woodbridge at all?
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, we see him every day in the locker room. See more of Mark.
Q. Any jawing about the record?
MIKE BRYAN: No, they're always supportive. Mark, before we walked out there, he looked us in the eyes, he's like, Good luck, really sincere, which makes us feel good.
They're not jealous about their records. You know, they have their place in history. They're in the Hall of Fame. They won six Wimbledons. I mean, they have a case, and they're the best team, you know.
We have a case now, obviously. But they're really cool guys.
Q. What do you think when you hear people talk about Roger, of course he's slowing down because he's nearing 30? As you said, you're on the young side of 33. Secondly, you have Tiger following Jack, and Roger was pretty outspoken about how he was chasing Pete's titles. Why do you not look at the titles?
MIKE BRYAN: We do. I mean, we do. This is our first press conference of the tournament (laughter).
BOB BRYAN: I mean, that 61 record was big on the horizon. Right after we broke their record, we were looking at this 11. We did that pretty quick. We're tied with those guys.
I don't know, it's an honor. We just got to let it seep in a little bit. Every slam we give a hundred percent. We don't want to say we're going for 20 because if we don't get there, it's going to be a letdown.
We're happy with what we've done. We're not content or satisfied. But, you know, we have smiles on our faces when we walk by our trophy case in the morning. I mean, how this career has gone has been a storybook for us.
Q. You're one ahead of Nadal now in slam titles. Is catching Federer possible, 16?
BOB BRYAN: No, it's not. That's an ugly number, man.
MIKE BRYAN: That's way up there.
Q. Who do you like in the singles tomorrow?
MIKE BRYAN: I don't know. I think Djokovic has had his number this year. Maybe he's got a little bit of a mental edge. But, you know, he's really happy he's No. 1 now. He could let down.
BOB BRYAN: He's a good buddy of ours, Djokovic. Nadal has his locker right next to us. He came up and said good luck to us. They're both good guys.
MIKE BRYAN: They're both really loose, too. They're relaxed and joking around.
BOB BRYAN: Hitting a lot of putts in the locker room, so...
Q. Talk about Davis Cup.
MIKE BRYAN: We're going straight to Austin in the morning. We're going to miss the ball. All the guys are already there getting ready. So we're excited. We're going to be talking about this for the next 24 hours then right to Davis Cup.
BOB BRYAN: We keep telling Courier, he's texting us, like, Way to go guys. We're like, one more practice match and then we'll see you in Austin. This is just the warmup, the under card for Austin.
Yeah, we're going to switch gears and get back in Davis Cup mode, which is going to be wild because we've been over here for three months. You might want to go blow it out and party, but no, back to business tomorrow.
Q. How is Novak's impression of you guys?
MIKE BRYAN: I'm sure he's done it in the locker room. Yeah, chest bump (smiling). Yeah, he's probably done it, but we haven't seen it yet.