Bryan Brothers Advance in Men’s Doubles Over Merrick’s Lipsky and Gonzalez
Bob & Mike Bryan advanced to the Men’s Doubles quarterfinals of the 2012 U.S. Open on Monday, but it was far from easy and came with a bit of luck as well. Their opponents,16th-seeded Merrick, N.Y. native Scott Lipsky & Santiago Gonzalez were up for the challenge on Grandstand Court and didn’t go down without a fight.
Lipsky & Gonzalez started fast-breaking early in the first set. They did give the break back later in the set but took the first set in a tiebreaker. The second set went back and forth with both teams holding serve and setting up a second straight tiebreaker. At 5-5 in the breaker and with the underdogs two points away from upsetting the second seeded brothers, momentum switched to the Bryans and they never looked back. Momentum came in the form of a between the legs shot from Bob Bryan that kept a point going that Bob then ended with a winner on the following ball. It was a shocking shot selection but one that got the crowd into a frenzy and allowed the Bryans one of their patented chest bumps. The Bryans won the tiebreaker on the next point and then took the third set 6-3 to advance,
If the Bryan brothers end up winning the U.S. Open, the between-the-legs trick shot Bob pulled off Monday will go down as one of the most memorable shots either man has hit over careers featuring 11 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.
"There were 20 different options," Mike Bryan said. "He picked the 21st."
Bob Bryan called it the kind of shot kids hit while they’re on the back, practice courts playing mini-tennis.
"If I was a coach, I’d tell my student never to do that," Bob Bryan said. "Or never do it again. It’s something you don’t want to try at home. I picked the worst option …. but the coolest option!"
The Bryans advance to play Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut in the quarterfinals with a possible semifinal meeting looming against another pair of American brothers, the unseeded team of Ryan & Christian Harrison.
