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Bryan Brothers on the Verge of Even More History at US Open

Sep 6th 2014

What’s left after a career sweep of the Grand Slams and ATP Masters 1000 events, Olympic gold medals, a Davis Cup title, and crowns at the year-end championships?

For Bob and Mike Bryan, the answer can be summed up in a number that epitomizes perfection: 100.

Bob and Mike Bryan

In the course of a career that’s been filled with unparalleled accomplishments, the twins are one match away from winning their centennial title together. And how fitting is it that the opportunity comes in the final of the U. S. Open, their “home Grand Slam?” Becoming the “king or queen of Queens” is a goal for any American playing professional tennis, and it’s something that the Bryans have accomplished four times in their illustrious careers.

This is the second year in a row that the Bryans have arrived in New York with history on their racquets. Last year, they entered the tournament having won the first three majors of 2013, and they were going for the calendar Grand Slam, but they fell in the semifinals to Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek. (They actually completed a run of four Grand Slams in a row for a non-calendar Slam with their Wimbledon title last year.)

The 2014 campaign hasn’t been as impressive as some of their prior seasons, and it has seen its shares of ups and downs for the duo. They lost early at the Australian Open, perhaps their best Grand Slam, since the pair had captured it in six of the prior eight seasons. They rebounded from that quite nicely and went on a five-tournament winning streak, which included three ATP Masters 1000 events. There were some lean times after that as they went without a title for seven consecutive events before winning in Cincinnati before the start of the U. S. Open.

The momentum generated from that win has served them well in New York. The Bryans breezed through their first three matches and gutted out three-setters in the last two rounds. Next up is the Spanish duo of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, the 11th seeds, who, like the Bryans, are playing in their second Grand Slam final of 2014.

Granollers and Lopez, former titlists at the year-end championships, are far from being an easy out. But the Bryans, with a chance to add to their gaudy statistics, should be in good shape for the final.

Regardless, it’s inevitable that Bob and Mike Bryan will reach that number symbolizing no fault at all. But should they do it in New York, there is really only one word to describe the moment:

Perfect.