Top-seeded American doubles combination Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have won their fourth Australian Open title in five years with a three-set victory over second seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.
The Bryan brothers completed the match 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 in one hour and 51 minutes at Rod Laver Arena in the early hours of Sunday morning.
In winning their eighth Grand Slam crown, the Bryan brothers also moved into clear second on the list of most doubles major titles. Australians Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who were both inducted into Tennis Australia’s Hall of Fame during the week, hold the record of 11 titles.
Coming into the final, Canada’s Nestor and Serbia’s Zimonjic had won six fewer Grand Slam titles than the American duo, but they still held an 8-3 advantage in their head-to-head clashes. The Bryan brothers’ win stopped a five-match losing streak against the second seeds.
The Bryan brothers looked the more dominant force in the first set as they pressured Zimonjic’s and Nestor’s service games, eventually breaking in the sixth game of the set and holding firm to close it out in 31 minutes.
Nestor and Zimonjic fought hard early in the second set and broke the seemingly-impenetrable service game of the American pair in the fourth game. However, the Bryans broke straight back and stayed with their opponents, and looked a threat until Nestor and Zimonjic showed their resilience, coming from 2-5 down in the tie-break to win it 7-5, forcing the match into a decider.
The defending champions bounced back in the third set, breaking serve in the fourth game and holding strong through the set to take it 6-3, offering no break point opportunities along the way.
For the match, the American pair managed to land 69 per cent of their first serves, winning 83 per cent of those points.
Fast facts
- Nestor and Zimonjic served eight aces to the Bryan brothers’ five.
- The Bryans won 83 per cent of points when they landed their first serve, while Nestor and Zimonjic managed just 63 per cent.
- Despite their loss, Nestor and Zimonjic hold an 8-4 head-to-head lead over the American duo.
