Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Trailing by a set and a break, on the doorstep of losing in the men’s doubles third round at the U.S. Open to the Canadian duo of Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil, Bob and Mike Bryan were desperate.
There was more than a match at stake, too.
A loss would have ended the Bryans’ hopes of a calendar-year Grand Slam after the 35-year-old twins won the doubles competitions at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
So they decided to go for broke — and the gamble paid off with a 6-7 (1), 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Bob changed his return position — a move that had precedent, but was nonetheless risky.
“We’ve used that tactic against Nestor in the past,” Bob said, referring to the 2010 Australian Open final, when he and Mike defeated the veteran lefty Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in three sets. “I was telling Mike, he’s getting so much width on the wide serve and the deuce and he’s killing me [down] the ‘T.’ Let’s mix it up. We are going to be in another breaker unless we change it.”
Bob switched to returning from the ad court, where he felt he had a better chance. Sure enough, the strategy paid immediate dividends as the Bryans broke Nestor’s serve to level the match at 4-all.
“I’m not saying we were totally lucky, but we were pretty fortunate to get that break,” Mike said. “We got a challenge there. They were serving 15-love and Bob hit a ball that landed on the line. … If Nestor holds, Pospisil is serving for the match. He was serving cannons the whole way through. He was going to serve downwind. I don’t think we had a break point on him all day.”
With the Canadians serving at 5-6 to stay in the set, the Bryans broke Nestor again to take the set. From there, it was a straight shot to the finish line, as the brothers broke Nestor twice more in the final set to win.
The Bryans will take on Colin Fleming and Jonathan Marray in the quarterfinals tonight, their first career matchup against the British pair.
Having survived the upset bid, the Bryans were able to look at their next step with perspective.
“There’s not a lot of wiggle room in doubles,” Bob said. “The margins are so small. You know, Mike could have woken up today with a stiff neck, and I’m healthy, but we’re out. There are probably 16 teams that could sneak through and win this title. You know, some big serving, win some breakers, and you’re holding up the trophy.”
If the Bryans are holding the trophy, they will be holding a piece of history.