|
Bryan brothers defend Australian title
2007-01-28
No chest bump, just a big hug. American twins Bob and Mike Bryan skipped their usual celebration ritual Saturday but were jubilant anyway after grabbing their fifth Grand Slam men's doubles title by beating Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi 7-5, 7-5 at the Australian Open. "It's great to come out and start this year well," Bob Bryan said. "Winning that first one is awesome." It was the Bryans' fourth straight appearance in the Australian Open final and their second consecutive win. "To come down here and get to the finals four years in a row, to defend our first ... that's special," Bryan said. Tour veterans Bjorkman and Mirnyi were seeded second to the Bryans' No. 1, and came into the match with a 4-4 record against the brothers but with three straight wins, including last year's French Open final. But Mike Bryan's powerful serve helped the brothers to dominate the match, and Bjorkman and Mirnyi scrambled to save five championship points in the last game before Bob Bryan slammed a forehand winner to seal the win. "I want to congratulate these guys," Bryan said. "They are both friends of ours, they're great doubles players, they are both legends. We were lucky today." The Bryans, born two minutes apart in Camarillo, Calif., have come to dominate men's doubles in the past few years. The pair completed a career Grand Slam at Wimbledon last year, and Saturday was their 10th appearance in a Grand Slam final.
|
