Bryans Miss Chance for 2013 Grand Slam

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 6th September 2013

Bryans Miss Chance for 2013 Grand Slam

epa03852686 Bob Bryan (L) and Mike Bryan (R) of the US react after losing to Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in their men's double semifinals round match on the eleventh day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 05 September 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

Bob and Mike Bryan have achieved just about everything a doubles team can in tennis but the Californian twins who statistically stand as the best ever must still wonder what it is like to win this sport’s Holy Grail – the Grand Slam.

After title wins at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon, taking their collection of majors to 15, the top seeded pair of 35 year-olds were understandably confident going into a tournament they have previously won on four occasions.

The history books revealed no team had achieved the feat since the Australians Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman 61 years ago in 1951. But the Bryans failed in their attempt, losing out to fourth seeds Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Right handed Mike summed up their disappointment when he said: “You know, we really wanted it. We could taste it.”

And then faced up the cold hard fact of his and his brother’s increasing age and added: “Realistically it will probably never happen. The margins are just so fine in doubles. There are just too many great teams out there and too much can go wrong, and a lot has to go right to be in that position.”

Left handed Bob took a more philosophical viewpoint. “It’s a little bit of a relief where you get to kind of exhale for the first time in a few months,” he said.

The Bryans, last year’s Olympic gold medalists, went into the match with a 4-3 winning margin over 40 year-old Paes and 34 year-old Stepanek. But their 28 match winning streak in Grand Slams – stretching back to their 2012 Wimbledon final demise against Britain’s Jonny Marray and Denmark’s Freddie Nielsen came to an end.

Plus it was the first time in 79 major matches that the Bryan’s had lost after winning the opening set. Nevertheless they earned the praise of their opponents and Paes, a winner of multiple doubles titles stretching over a 13 year time span, used the on court microphone in Arthur Ashe Stadium to point out the Bryans have won more majors (15), more titles (92) and more no. 1 ranking finishes (eight) than any male team.

Plus the pair has already secured the 2013’s year-end No. 1 and Paes concluded: “Give them a great hand because they are great ambassadors for American tennis.”

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