THE BRYAN BROS WIN DOUBLES TITLE AT ROLAND GARROS.
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PARIS — Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States held off a pair of battling French underdogs and won their 14th major international doubles title, defeating Nicolas Mahut and Michael Llodra of France, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4), on Saturday at the French Open.
A punch volley by Mahut to create a mini-break in the tiebreaker put the unseeded French pair near the threshold of victory, but the Bryans immediately slammed the door, winning the final four points.
“We needed some luck,” said Mike Bryan.
“Just proud of the way we kind of stayed with it, and, you know, always kept believing all the way,” said Bob Bryan.
In January, the Bryans became the most successful doubles team in tennis history, including the pre-Open era. Their Australian Open crown was their 13th title at one of the four major international championships. They’ve also won a gold medal at the Olympics.
“This is the toughest Slam to win,” said Mike Bryan. “Clay is an equalizer and makes a lot of teams better.”
The French team was unheralded, playing together for only the seventh time in 12 years on the international tour. But they scrambled and scratched to the end, to the delight of their home-country supporters.
“We fight to the end,” Llodra said, recalling that an injury to Mahut had caused them to doubt in recent weeks whether they could compete.
Asked what had made the difference in the match, Mahut said, “I missed the volley.” Had he made it, he said, he and Llodra would have mounted a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker. Instead, the Bryans pulled to 4-4 and won the next three points to claim the victory.
A slap shot, aimed by Bob Bryan directly at Mahut at the net, put the Americans on the doorstep to win the first set. Mahut bobbled that volley, and the ball fell to the ground. The Bryans raced through set point a moment later.
But Mahut and Llodra remained vigilant, and in the 12th game of the match, early in the second set, they got their first glimmer of daylight. Clipping two backhand volleys crosscourt for winners, Llodra helped break Bob Bryan’s serve. Still, the Americans, bouncing and bounding along the net, stayed close, breaking Mahut back immediately and pulling even at 2-2.
Both teams stayed on serve through 6-6, the Bryans apologizing for a shot that staggered Mahut from what appeared at first to be a collision between his own racket and his left knee, which carried a black brace. “It was the ball,” Mahut told reporters after the match. “It still hurts.”
When Mahut slammed an overhead past the Bryans to hold a set point, the crowd erupted, and continued cheering as Llodra drove a backhand up the middle to even the match. Suddenly, the Bryans, who had not lost a set in the tournament, were on the defensive, watching Llodra and Mahut dashing to net, cutting off volleys and pounding overheads in the fashion of, yes, the Bryans.
Both teams held serve through the dozen games in the final set, Bob Bryan’s forehand slashing volley pulling the twins even at 5-5 and Llodra holding serve to put the French within four points of victory at 6-5.
But Mike Bryan held serve with Bob Bryan poking a high volley winner to win the game and force the tiebreaker. The Bryans then went on to record their 89th tournament victory as a doubles team in a career dating to 1998.
“We really wanted to win another French,” said Mike Bryan. “It’s been 10 years. This is the first one we won back in the day and kind of launched our career.”
The brothers recalled their 2003 victory at Roland Garros as an adventure. Back then, they had fewer resources and stayed in a cheap hotel.
“We just decided to save a buck,” Mike Bryan said. “I think it was only 100 euros a night. Now Bob is paying 700 a night with extra room for the baby.”
Source: New York Times.
PARIS — Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States held off a pair of battling French underdogs and won their 14th major international doubles title, defeating Nicolas Mahut and Michael Llodra of France, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4), on Saturday at the French Open.
A punch volley by Mahut to create a mini-break in the tiebreaker put the unseeded French pair near the threshold of victory, but the Bryans immediately slammed the door, winning the final four points.
“We needed some luck,” said Mike Bryan.
“Just proud of the way we kind of stayed with it, and, you know, always kept believing all the way,” said Bob Bryan.
In January, the Bryans became the most successful doubles team in tennis history, including the pre-Open era. Their Australian Open crown was their 13th title at one of the four major international championships. They’ve also won a gold medal at the Olympics.
“This is the toughest Slam to win,” said Mike Bryan. “Clay is an equalizer and makes a lot of teams better.”
The French team was unheralded, playing together for only the seventh time in 12 years on the international tour. But they scrambled and scratched to the end, to the delight of their home-country supporters.
“We fight to the end,” Llodra said, recalling that an injury to Mahut had caused them to doubt in recent weeks whether they could compete.
Asked what had made the difference in the match, Mahut said, “I missed the volley.” Had he made it, he said, he and Llodra would have mounted a 5-2 lead in the tiebreaker. Instead, the Bryans pulled to 4-4 and won the next three points to claim the victory.
A slap shot, aimed by Bob Bryan directly at Mahut at the net, put the Americans on the doorstep to win the first set. Mahut bobbled that volley, and the ball fell to the ground. The Bryans raced through set point a moment later.
But Mahut and Llodra remained vigilant, and in the 12th game of the match, early in the second set, they got their first glimmer of daylight. Clipping two backhand volleys crosscourt for winners, Llodra helped break Bob Bryan’s serve. Still, the Americans, bouncing and bounding along the net, stayed close, breaking Mahut back immediately and pulling even at 2-2.
Both teams stayed on serve through 6-6, the Bryans apologizing for a shot that staggered Mahut from what appeared at first to be a collision between his own racket and his left knee, which carried a black brace. “It was the ball,” Mahut told reporters after the match. “It still hurts.”
When Mahut slammed an overhead past the Bryans to hold a set point, the crowd erupted, and continued cheering as Llodra drove a backhand up the middle to even the match. Suddenly, the Bryans, who had not lost a set in the tournament, were on the defensive, watching Llodra and Mahut dashing to net, cutting off volleys and pounding overheads in the fashion of, yes, the Bryans.
Both teams held serve through the dozen games in the final set, Bob Bryan’s forehand slashing volley pulling the twins even at 5-5 and Llodra holding serve to put the French within four points of victory at 6-5.
But Mike Bryan held serve with Bob Bryan poking a high volley winner to win the game and force the tiebreaker. The Bryans then went on to record their 89th tournament victory as a doubles team in a career dating to 1998.
“We really wanted to win another French,” said Mike Bryan. “It’s been 10 years. This is the first one we won back in the day and kind of launched our career.”
The brothers recalled their 2003 victory at Roland Garros as an adventure. Back then, they had fewer resources and stayed in a cheap hotel.
“We just decided to save a buck,” Mike Bryan said. “I think it was only 100 euros a night. Now Bob is paying 700 a night with extra room for the baby.”
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