Bob and Mike Bryan re-claimed the number one doubles ranking with victory at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
American twins back on top of the world
Bob and Mike Bryan re-claimed the number one doubles ranking with victory at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.
The American brothers won the final 7-6 6-3 against Max Mirnyi of Belarus and Israeli partner Andy Ram to go back to the top of the rankings for the first time since they lost to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 12 months ago.
"We felt like it was stolen from us last year," Bob Bryan said. "Now we kind of crept up on those guys and stole it from them this year. We feel like it's a little bit of a payback."
Mirnyi and Ram beat the twins in the round-robin phase of the tournament, but couldn't repeat the feat in the final.
The Bryans wasted three break points in the seventh game as Mirnyi and Ram hit back to level, taking the match to a first set tie-break.
The seventh seeds led 5-4 in the breaker but the Americans took the next three points to take the set, and clinched the only break of the match in the eighth game of the second set before serving it out.
"It means so much," Bob Bryan added. "It's pretty much what we play for now. I mean, that's the goal. Play well in the slams, but the ultimate goal is to finish number one."
Mirnyi and Ram made the final of the season-ending event for the first time, but will not play doubles together next year as Mirnyi plans to focus more on business ventures and his family.
"Maybe when he catches up to me with the amount of kids in the family and starts his business, we'll get back together again," Mirnyi said.
It is the third time the Bryans have won the tournament and the fifth time they will end the year as the top-ranked doubles team.
