Bryans Defeat Rivals To Tie All-Time Team Titles Record

© Getty ImagesBob and Mike Bryan won their 15th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.

Americans Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan captured a record-equaling 61st doubles title together Sunday as they defeated rivals Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tennis tournament.

Appearing in their 99th tour-level doubles final, the Bryans tied Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde’s Open Era record of team titles. Fifteen of their 61 titles have come at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments.

“There are a lot of opportunities out there to get that 62, but it would be more special at a Grand Slam," said Bob Bryan, with Roland Garros just a week away. "We’re just really happy to win this one right now against such a great team; one of our rivals of the past three years. It feels awesome to share a record with the Woodies; those guys were our idols. We were lucky to grow up when they were at their best and we learned a lot from them; they played a beautiful game of doubles. To be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys is everything to us. It’s what makes number 61 so special.”

"The Woodies were fantastic," concurred Mike Bryan. "They have a lot of records. It’s nice to share one with them. But you can’t compare it; we’re totally different teams. They played a beautiful brand of doubles, as Bob said. They didn’t have the big serves, but they were so smart out there. We’ve learned a lot of things from them about poaching. They had a better finals record; when they got to a finals match they usually won it. They were clutch players. They’re great guys too; fantastic players and even better guys off the court."

By virtue of earning 1000 ATP World Tour Doubles Ranking points as winners, the Bryans will also move back to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Team Rankings on Monday. They were crowned ATP World Tour Champions last year as they finished atop the ATP Doubles Team Rankings after victory at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London.

It is the second time this season that the top two teams have clashed, with the Bryans also triumphing in the Australian Open final at the start of the year to win their eighth Grand Slam title. Prior to victory in Melbourne, they had lost five successive matches to their Canadian-Serbian rivals.

It is the fifth tour-level title that the Bryans have won this season (5-0 finals record) and their second straight success on clay. Two weeks ago they won an all-American final against John Isner and Sam Querrey to lift the trophy in Rome, adding to their successes earlier in the season in Houston (also on clay) and Delray Beach (on hard court).

In a strong-serving performance from the Americans, they were not broken throughout the 55-minute clash, with Nestor and Zimonjic not able to make many returns. The 32-year-old twins broke in the sixth game of the first set as they secured a one-set lead and established an early lead in the second set by breaking serve to lead 3-1.

The top-seeded Nestor and Zimonjic engineered their only three break points of the clash in the eighth game of the second set, but Bob Bryan saved all three on his serve to hold for 5-3 and Mike Bryan then produced a love service game to seal victory.

The Bryans were contesting their fourth Madrid final and lifted the trophy for the third time, having previously triumphed in 2006 (d. Knowles-Nestor) and 2007 (d. Fyrstenberg-Matkowski). They finished runners-up in 2004, losing out to Nestor and his former long-time partner Mark Knowles.

Nestor and Zimonjic were looking to record their ninth victory in 13 meetings with the Bryan brothers and, in turn, defend their title in Madrid, won last year with victory over Simon Aspelin and Wesley Moodie. They Canadian-Serbian duo, who have been in strong form during the European clay-court circuit with victories in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona, slipped to a 4-3 record in finals this season.

The Road To 61 Titles

Year     Match      Titles                          Year-by-Year Highlights
            (W-L)       (W-L) 

Totals    617-214  61-38

Titles by Surface
- Hard  38 - Grass  7
- Clay  13 - Carpet 3

Top 5 Doubles Team Title Leaders
                                                        No.
1) Bob Bryan-Mike Bryan                      61
    Todd Woodbridge-Mark Woodforde   61
3) Peter Fleming-John McEnroe             57
    Bob Hewitt-Frew McMillan                 57
5) Sergio Casal-Emilio Sanchez             44