Bob Bryan Facing Double Pressure

Written by: Staff on 27th January 2012

Bob Bryan Facing Double Pressure

Mike Bryan (R) and Bob Bryan of USA in action during their men's doubles first round match against Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich of Israel at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 19 January 2012. EPA/MAST IRHAM |

Bob Bryan will be under dual pressure as he plays the men’s doubles final at the Australian Open on the day his wife is due to give birth in Miami. On the one hand, there is the responsibility of awaiting a first child for the 33-year-old. On the other, there’s the chance to make more doubles history by winning a 12th major crown.

If the brothers win a sixth Melbourne trophy, it will then be a mad dash to the airport for Bob, nursing the hope that wife Michelle may be delayed going into labor.

Bryan admits to hearing about a close call at home during his team’s semi-final win over Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania, learning later that his wife had to turn off television coverage of the match after feeling some small contractions due to the tension.

“She’s on bed rest now, and not getting out of bed,” said the father-to-be. “We’re down to the finish line. It’s crunch time, yeah. She turned it off in the third set because she was starting to feel a couple small contractions. I’ve been telling her: don’t watch the matches; it will get your heart rate going and you might spit that baby out.”

He admitted, after advising his wife not to watch the doubles final between the brothers and Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek: “It’s going to be tight the next couple days, especially with the nerves. She can see the finish line and she knows she’s a few days away from me coming home.

“I’m feeling pretty good. She’s been so happy and supportive of what we’re doing. That makes it really easy. It’s going to be a war zone in that room when that baby’s coming out and I’ll psych up on the plane ride home.”