After Davis Cup Victory Zimonjic Praises Bryans For Their Contribution To Doubles

Written by: Staff on 8th April 2013

After Davis Cup Victory Zimonjic Praises Bryans For Their Contribution To Doubles

epa03652325 Nenad Zimonjic (L) and Ilija Bozoljac (2-L) of Serbia shake hands with Mike Bryan (R) and Bob Bryan (2-R) of the US during the 2013 Davis Cup World Group quarter final at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho, USA, 06 April 2013. The Serbians beat the Bryan brothers of the US in five-sets. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

After pulling off a spectacular five-set upset over Bob and Mike Bryan in Davis Cup with his obscure partner Ilija Bozoljac, Serbian Nenad Zimonjic took time to praise his great rivals. The 36-year-old Zimonjic is one of the few players to have success against the 13-time Grand Slam champions, having beaten them with a variety of partners on 20 occasions – and also dropping 20 matches to them.

But he knows how much the enthusiastic twins mean to the health of doubles. “They changed doubles,” Zimonjic said. “They put it to the different level. They were so good for us when we were struggling with the doubles in 2001. Wayne Bryan [their father], I have to say, he had a big role in all of this, and I would like to thank them again, you know, for that, what they’ve been doing, not just for the Davis Cup team, the records that they have, all the matches that they won. It’s amazing.”

A serve and volleyer, who is a classic old school player, the Serbian worries that the styles are becoming too homogenous.

“Hopefully we’ll have in the future somebody like this, that is as good in doubles as these guys because most of the guys are now playing from the back of the court, they don’t play that good at the net,” he said. “Even in singles we’re losing that part of the tennis that used to be with Sampras, with Becker, Edberg, all these guys, maybe different matchups. This is what we can see still in doubles, which I think is a lot of fun for the crowd to see something different.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Bob Bryan, Davis Cup, Ilija Bozoljac, Mike Bryan, Nenad Zimonjic, Serbian tennis news