Bryans Chase US Open Revenge Against Spaniards

The spotlight turns to doubles at the US Open on Friday with four former Grand Slam champions in the semi-finals. Five-time US Open champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan are back in the final four, where they will meet Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez in a rematch of the 2016 US Open quarter-finals. The Spaniards (unrelated) defeated the American twins in that match and the 2016 Roland Garros final, but lost to them last month at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Mike Bryan broke a tie with Daniel Nestor on Tuesday and became the doubles player with the most match wins in the Open Era with his 1,052nd victory. Mike owns 14 more wins than Bob because he earned two Davis Cup victories with Mardy Fish and 13 victories with other partners while Bob played singles qualifying at the Grand Slams in 2002.  Bob owns one Davis Cup win with John Isner.

The Bryans have played in 23 straight US Opens (1995-present) and 75 straight Grand Slams overall (1999 Roland Garros-present). The No. 5 seeds have not won a Grand Slam title since the 2014 US Open, their longest drought since capturing their first of 16 majors at 2003 Roland Garros. Individually, the Bryans are trying to tie John Newcombe for the most Grand Slam men’s doubles titles with 17.

World No. 1 Henri Kontinen and No. 2 John Peers, who beat the Bryans in the 2017 Australian Open final, meet 2015 Wimbledon champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the other men’s doubles semi-final. Rojer/Tecau and Kontinen/Peers went 5-0 en route to titles at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2015 and 2016 respectively. 

Like Lopez and Lopez, Kontinen and Peers have not dropped a set thus far at the US Open. The Finn and Aussie can rise to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race to London, which serves as team rankings, by winning the US Open title. Rojer and Tecau have won 16 of 17 sets since 21 August, capturing their 15th title at Winston-Salem.