Bob and Mike Bryan began their second-round match with typical dominance, racing to a 6-1 lead over Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey but their compatriots turned up the intensity, and were soon back on level terms by taking the second set 7-5. After being pushed to a third set tie-break, they eventually came through 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3.
“It was good, we played a pretty much lights out first set, and started the second set off with a break point, and then they went on a bit of an ace flurry where pretty much every point they won on their serve in the second was an ace,” said Mike.
“It sucked the energy out of us,” added Bob. “For 20 minutes we didn’t have a sniff, our energy dropped and we played one shaky game on our serve and all of a sudden we’re in a dog fight. They were playing great until the fourth, and then we got it back,” said Mike. “They’re not an easy team, just smiling and hitting aces. But they’re our buddies.”
Due to the crowd reactions both were aware of the drama taking place on Centre Court between Serena Williams and Heather Watson. “We didn’t watch it, we heard it,” said Mike.
“They showed the scoreboard up on Centre Court and people could see it from No.3 Court, and literally between points there would be a standing ovation almost. At first I didn’t know what was going on, and that match was sucking the energy out of our match, because everyone was watching the scoreboard. We weren’t focused, but we had to try and keep in the moment. Every time we sat down we would look up at the scoreboard, you can’t help it.”
Mike also confirmed he has overcome an abdominal injury that he was suffering in the lead up to The Championships. “I’m not even thinking about it anymore,” he said. “It’s good, it’s out of my mind just in time. About a week ago I was still serving at 60 per cent.
About a week ago I was still serving at 60 per cent
“I do a lot of stretching just so I don’t tear it again but I’m serving back to where I should be, so no complaints. We’re both healthy.”
Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, the defending champions and third seeds, also came through unscathed with a 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4) win over Eric Butorac and Colin Fleming. Only a third set tie-break provided the tension in an otherwise straightforward win for the young pair that takes them one step closer to successfully defending their title.
Second seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo were forced to go the distance against Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Santiago Gonzalez after going two sets to one down. However, the pair finally got in front when they broke in the first game of the fifth, and that proved enough for the victory, with the final score 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
Fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau were forced to come back from two sets down against Andre Begemann and Julian Knowl, prevailing after three hours and 36 minutes. The fifth lasted 101 minutes, but as soon as Rojer and Tecau had secured the break at the first opportunity to go 14-13 up they wrapped up the match with a hold to love, winning 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 15-13.
The big upset came with the defeat of Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, the Spanish sixth seeds falling in straight sets to Poland’s Lukasz Kubot and Belarus’ Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Raveen Klaasen and Rajeev Ram were the other seeds to fall, going out 11-9 in the fifth in another marathon. Mate Pavic and Michael Venus eventually took charge in the final set with a break at 9-9 when Ram drifted a shot wide, and consolidated with a hold to seal victory over the 14th seeds 7-6(4), 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(5), 11-9.
Eighth seeds Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares were taken to a tie-break in the second set and dropped the third to Belarus’ Sergey Betov and Aliaksandr Bury. However, they rattled through the fourth to take their place in the third round, with a 6-1 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea, the ninth seeds, also struggled. Having taken the first set 7-5, they needed two tie-breaks to overcome Thomaz Bellucci and Guillermo Duran, winning 7-5, 7-6(5), 7-6(5).
