LIFE AT THE TOP NOT ENOUGH FOR BRYAN TWINS.Byline: STEVE DILBECK They should be happy, right? Feeling all good about themselves, realizing they've accomplished something most would feel foolish even dreaming about. Camarillo twins Bob and Mike Bryan Twin brothers Robert Charles Bryan (Bob) and Michael Carl Bryan (Mike) are American professional tennis players. Between 2005 and 2006, they reached an Open Era record of seven consecutive Grand Slam finals. have advanced to the men's doubles finals of all three Grand Slam grand slam n. 1. The winning of all the tricks during the play of one hand in bridge and other whist-derived card games. 2. Sports The winning of all the major or specified events, especially on a professional circuit. events this year. That was them last month in the Wimbledon final. Them playing for it all at the French Open. Them starting the season by reaching the Australian Open
And losing all three. It's killing them. They shake their identical heads in dismay. Second-guess themselves. Plan their next attack. The Bryans act as if they climbed the highest summit, only to slip one final step from the top. Chased a great prize only to have it slip through their hands just as it was grasped. Wimbledon remains a particularly fresh wound. ``It's frustrating - 99.9 percent of the people would probably love to be in the finals, but we're not too happy about it,'' said Bob, younger by three seconds. ``It took us four or five days to get over Wimbledon.'' It's not like they've never won a Grand Slam. In 2003 they won the French Open as 25-year-olds. It seemed to signal their arrival as international doubles stars. The Bryans naturally figured it was the first of many Grand Slam titles to come. Their goal was not to be viewed as some Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, one-hit wonders List of one-hit wonders can refer to
``It's good to have that one Grand Slam, but we want to be known as multiple Grand Slam winners,'' Mike said. ``You can't call it a fluke because we're No. 1. ``But we want to be known as a great doubles team and remembered - and the only way to do that is to win slams.'' The twins have actually advanced to five Grand Slam finals overall without victory since the '03 French Open, also falling in the final of the 2003 U.S. Open The term U.S. Open is applied to "open" United States national championships in a particular sport, in which anybody, amateur or professional, American or non-American may compete. These include:
Five absolutely agonizing losses. Five times they were as close as they could imagine, without returning to Camarillo as victors. On Friday, they sat in the players' lounge at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX preparing for their late quarterfinal match in the Mercedes-Benz Cup, lamenting lost opportunity. ``If we hadn't won one, it would be a huge gorilla on our back,'' Mike said. ``I think we'd be in agony. ``It would be tough to even practice and play this one. We'd be biding bide v. bid·ed or bode , bid·ed, bid·ing, bides v.intr. 1. To remain in a condition or state. 2. a. To wait; tarry. b. our time until the U.S. Open came around.'' They lost in the French Open last June to Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi Max Mirnyi (Belarusian: Максім Мірны, Maksim Mirny; born July 6, 1977, in Minsk) is a tennis player from Belarus. , and in Australia to Wayne Black Wayne Hamilton Black (born November 17, 1973 in Harare) is a professional male tennis player from Zimbabwe. He is the son of Don and Velia Black and the brother of Cara Black and Byron Black, also professional tennis players. and Zevin Ullyett when Bob suffered a strained an abdominal muscle abdominal muscle Any of the muscles of the front and side walls of the abdominal cavity. Three flat layers—the external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominis muscles—extend from each side of the spine between the lower ribs and the hipbone. . Both were highly ranked teams. But last month's loss at Wimbledon was something else, something more grating. The Bryans were upset by a pair of qualifiers, Stephen Huss Stephen Huss may refer to:
He began to play tennis at an early age and won the South African Junior Masters tournament in February 1996. . Stunned is more like it. Left with their heads spinning. ``A Cinderella team,'' Bob said. ``When we played that qualifier team, we were heavy favorites going in and were kinda shocked at how well they were playing and got kind of frustrated. ``We thought we just had to play 75 percent to win. But you have to lay it all on the line in the slam finals - go for your big serve, go for aces, go for your big returns. Maybe we just played a little conservative.'' The Bryans had planned on their experience winning the day, or at least the inexperience of Huss and Moodie. ``You're happy to see a team that's never been in a Grand Slam,'' Mike said. ``You're hoping they're going to get a little jittery and the moment's going to get to them, but it never did.'' Instead, the moment left them feeling almost empty. Trying to adjust to an outcome that felt foreign at the same time if was so painfully familiar. They are currently the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the world, and its most frustrated. Winners left unfulfilled. ``Our goal is to win Grand Slams,'' Mike said. ``To come so close and lose three in a row is disappointing. We want to finish No. 1, and that's increasing our lead, but you've got to prove you're the No. 1 team by winning a big one. We kind of let it slip away.'' The twins still live in Camarillo, where together they've purchased a home. The right-handed Mike and left-handed Bob have spent much of the past month dwelling on that loss in England and thinking about what they need to do differently next month at the U.S. Open. ``We're going to play a little more aggressive next time,'' Bob said. ``Maybe just let our shots go a little earlier in the match, and then we can pull back the reigns later, instead of playing a little safe early.'' Added Mike: ``Maybe we're playing a little too safe when we get to those big moments. But we're learning from that. Next time we get there we're going to play really aggressive, play to win and go for it.'' They've been to Center Court five consecutive times in the final of a Grand Slam. They should be so happy, but they still reach for a higher summit. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Brothers Bob, left, and Mike Bryan are the top-ranked doubles team in the world, but want more Grand Slam titles. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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