Bryan brothers see eye to eye (mostly) on 2014 success
LONDON – There is little left to prove for Bob and Mike Bryan — they own nearly every significant doubles record — and they showed up at this year's ATP World Tour Finals with the No. 1 ranking already in the bag.
Still, it was another year of milestones: their 100th career title at the U.S. Open, which extended their record haul of majors to 16; an unparalleled six Masters 1000 titles; a record 10th year atop the rankings.
On Wednesday, the top-seeded Bryans came back to defeat No. 5 seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 10-6 to even their round-robin record in London at 1-1.
In 13 visits to the elite year-end event, they have won three titles (2003-04, 2009).
Perhaps no two players in the history of tennis are as synonymously intertwined as the 36-year-old identical twins from California.
USA Today Sports decided to see what the 2014 season looked like from their very aligned, but still distinct pairs of eyes.
We asked them the same questions separately. Here's how they experienced the year:
Q: What one word or phrase characterizes your 2014 season?
BOB: Successful.
MIKE: Streaks.
Q: This is 10th time you've finished at No. 1. Where does it rank in your career?
BOB: The numbers we were looking at were 100 (titles) and 10 (year-end No. 1 rankings). We hit both. Third best.
MIKE: Top three.
Q: What was your most clutch win of season?
BOB: Beating David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open on Grandstand (6-2, 4-6, 6-4).
MIKE: The U.S. Open final (d. Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-3, 6-4).
Q: Toughest loss of the year?
BOB: The semifinals of Rome because we had match points against Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic. The Wimbledon final was close but for some reason the Rome one hurt more.
MIKE: The Wimbledon final to Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil (6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3, 5-7).
Q: Toughest opponent?
BOB: Nestor-Zimonjic.
MIKE: Nestor and Zimonjic. They ended our streak of five titles and beat us back-to-back weeks in two claycourt matches.
Q: High point?
BOB: Winning the U.S. Open – no comparison.
MIKE: The U.S. Open.
Q: Low point?
BOB: Losing the first round in Toronto after a string of a couple bad months. We were pretty low.
MIKE: Wimbledon.
Q: Funnest moment, on or off the court?
BOB: Moving into my new house and going swimming with my kids.
MIKE: Our band playing the gig at Indian Wells.
Q: We all know it's a long, tiring year. At what point did you get fed up with your brother?
BOB: Mike hit me with a ball recently – cheap-shotted me in the back on the center court here at the 02 Arena. I threw my racket from the net to the baseline. I went low. I tried to hit him in the legs.
MIKE: Sometimes it's early in the year. At the Aussie Open we were on each other's nerves. We went back to the hotel in Melbourne and had some words. There area a lot of high points and low points with Bob during the year.
Q: What was the biggest source of tension between you two this season?
BOB: The fact that I'm devoting a lot of attention to the family. Sometimes after losses he feels like I'm not all there.
MIKE: There's always friction on the court when one of our levels drops. During the clay court swing my level fell and he was on my back. He was riding me a little bit until I picked it up.
Q: How long can you play at this level?
BOB: I think we could play at this level another 5-6 years. Whether we will is to be seen.
MIKE: Five more years but only if we want to. Since Bob has two kids, he really misses them. When he's away from his family for 2-3 weeks he's not a happy camper. I think he wants to shut it down before me. Maybe I'll grab another partner.
Q: What do Jack Sock, Eric Butorac, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson have in common besides being American? (They all posted wins over Bryans in 2014.)
BOB: Nothing. They are all completely different individuals.
MIKE: Nothing. We usually have good records against Americans. They got us.
Q: Best new (or reformed) team of 2014?
BOB: Rojer and Tecau because they were able to win so many titles, even if it wasn't the big ones.
MIKE: Nestor and Zimonjic, by finishing No. 2 in the world.
Q: Singles player you're most happy not to face in doubles?
BOB: We're never really scared of anyone.
MIKE: Maybe Federer, but we've played him seven times and we're 4-3.
Q: Prediction on most impactful team change for 2015?
BOB: On paper the most successful out of the gates will be Zimonjic and Michael Llodra.
MIKE: Leander Paesand Raven Klaasen will be a top-8 team. Zimonjic and Llodra will have a good year.
Q: Give me a prediction, anything, that will happen in tennis next year?
BOB: Dominic Thiem will be top 15 by end of the year and Grigor Dimitrov will play here (at the eight-player World Tour Finals).
MIKE: Kei Nishikori will win his first Slam.
Q: In 10 years?
BOB: I just hope in 10 years that doubles is still alive and healthy.
MIKE: We will not be playing lets.
Q: In 20 years?
BOB: Doubles is going to be more popular than singles.
MIKE: I'm hoping there's still doubles alleys on the court.
Q: What is your top goal for 2015?
BOB: No. 1 again.
MIKE: To finish No. 1 and win Davis Cup.
Q: Despite all your success, you've only won the year-end championships three times, and only once in the past five years. Why?
BOB: Because our main goal is always to finish No. 1. The times we haven't played well is when we've already clinched it. We've already exhaled and let down. The years we've done well the No. 1 ranking has been on the line.
MIKE: I think it's tough to keep the focus going for 11 months.
Q: What team would you least like to see on this surface at this particular time in the final?
BOB: People that give a (expletive) about this tournament.
MIKE: Since it's a quick court, a big-serving team would be tough to beat. Maybe Nestor-Zimonjic, but they may not be there because they are 0-2 already in round robin.