MERCEDES BENZ CUP NOTES: BROTHERS BRYAN STAY HOT; WIN PUTS THEM IN FINALS.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Mike and Bob Bryan of Camarillo had never won a first-round doubles match at the Mercedes-Benz Cup.

So they made a change in their routine.

Instead of sleeping in their own beds and commuting to UCLA, they opted for a hotel. Less traffic, fewer distractions.

Whether it was the new surroundings or just a continuation of their recent hot streak, it's working. The Bryans advanced to today's finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tommy Haas and Max Mirnyi in the semifinals Saturday at UCLA.

``This year, we said, `Don't even tell us who's coming. We don't want to know,' '' Bob said. ``It seems to be working.''

Obviously.

But the Bryans have been playing good tennis all summer. They've won 16 of their last 17 matches since the beginning of June. Mike said his serve hasn't been broken once in that span.

The twins needed just an hour and 15 minutes to dispose of Haas and Mirnyi. It was just another steady match for the doubles team, which seems to be doing everything right these days.

``Mike returned really well,'' Bob said. ``I served well. We just played really tight. We didn't play any loose points.''

A victory today would mean a lot but a victory in the U.S. Open - which begins Aug. 27 - would be even better. A doubles title is plausible. After all, this is the same two that upset the top-ranked team of Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge at Wimbledon before losing in the semifinals.

``Everything we're doing is really building for the U.S. Open,'' Mike said.

--Best, worst of L.A.: Gustavo Kuerten made his first extended trip to Los Angeles but didn't have much time to check out the sights. When asked what he liked best about the city, he joked it was his bed. Kuerten, who likes to surf, regrets he didn't have enough time to take in a beach or check out the clubs. He said he thinks he'll return to L.A. to play in the tournament again next year.

--Best backhand? Andre Agassi was quite complimentary of Kuerten's one-handed backhand.

``It's the best one-hander I've ever faced,'' Agassi said. ``He hits a very versatile shot. He can flatten it out at the line, loop it deep crosscourt or he can hit it short with a big angle, out wide. He can hit it with a hard backhand angle. And he can hit the ball big if it's up and stay under it if it's low. It's as good of a shot as you'll see in the game.''

--Name game: Kuerten's name is often butchered but Kuerten (pronounced care-tin) said he didn't mind. He said people can just call him by his nickname, ``Guga,'' which is short for Gustavo in Brazil.

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Photo:

(color) Andre Agassi hits a forehand against Gustavo Kuerten on Saturday.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer