Bryan brothers defeat Bopanna-Qureshi in US Open final
Bob and Mike Bryan have won their third men’s doubles title at the US Open, defeating Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi in the final.
In a closely fought and high quality match, the top seeds emerged the 7-6, 7-6 victors, winning the final point with an ace and celebrating with their customary chest bump.
The US Open is the second Grand Slam title the American twins have won in 2010, a year they opened by claiming their fourth Australian Open doubles crown, and now joins the two titles they previously won at Flushing Meadows in 2005 and 2008.
The Bryan brothers this August became the most successful doubles pairing in the history of men’s tennis when they won their 62nd career title to surpass the record previously set by Australian duo Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge. They now have 64.
While Bopanna and Qureshi may have fallen at the final hurdle, the success of the Indian (Bopanna) and Pakistani (Qureshi) pairing has seen both the India and Pakistan ambassadors courtside during the tournament, as the pair of tennis players played for more than just personal gain at the year’s final Grand Slam.
“We're just trying to promote peace through sports,” Bopanna told reporters in New York. “We are not looking into any political part or anything to do with whatever is happening. We're just trying to see - you know, trying to promote - you know, if like even two per cent or three per cent of people change their minds of saying, you know, if we both can get along why can't they, as well.”
“To get noticed and to get the message across, you have to do well on a bigger scale and in front of the wider and bigger audience,” said Qureshi after they’d booked their place in the final. “And I'm just very, very happy and proud to be a part of it...I'm just happy I'm on the Indo Pak Express. It's really good we're getting all the wins, and we're somehow bringing the people of both nations together.”
Tags: