Bryan Brothers battles past Gonzalez/Lipsky to move to the quarter-finals – US Open 2012
Second seeds, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan of USA, rallied from a deficit of one set to overcome Mexican-American tandem of Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-3 in the third round of the US Open in New York on Monday.
The three-time former champions needed just two minutes less than two hours to record this close win and reach the last eight.
Highlight of the contest was Bob’s tweener, when the twins were just two points away from defeat in the second set. The American was standing close to the net when Gonzalez hit a blistering shot right at him. Instead of moving
away or playing from the front, Bob played it between his legs and won the point. Bryans hit a fore hand winner to clinch the following one and with it the second set.
Commenting on the shot during the post match press conference, Bob said, "If I was a coach, I'd tell my student never to do that. Or never do it again. It's something you don't want to try at home."
Bryans entered this year’s US Open in best form, as they grabbed Gold Medal at the London Olympics and then clinched the Masters Series title in Toronto.
The Americans did not make an impressive start against Gonzalez and Lipsky, as they failed to hold serve in the third game and could not pull the break back in the next one, going down 1-3. Though, Bryans managed to hit back in
the eighth to square off the proceedings at 4-4. The next four games went with serve, taking the score to 6-6 and forcing a tie-breaker. It went back and forth during the first 12 points but then the Mexican-American duo claimed two back to back, winning it
7-6(6).
The second set saw superb display of serve by both teams, as they did not give each other any opportunity to break, levelling the score at 6-6 and taking it to a tie-breaker. It went neck to neck in the opening 10 points but this
time Bryans won two in a row to triumph 7-6(5).
The American brothers did not face much resistance in the decider, as they needed a single breakthrough to close it 6-3.
Bryans will play the unseeded French team of Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut in the quarter-finals. Benneteau and Mahut downed the 12th seeds, Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, in the round of 16.
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