Shanghai: The Bryan twins have warned they are in no mood to relinquish their position at the top of the men’s doubles tennis world.
“Our expectations and goals for each year is to finish number one. I feel like we are at the peak of our career, and every time we step on the court we feel like we have a great chance to win the match,” Bob Bryan told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Shanghai Rolex Masters here.
“So we are going to continue trying to win big tournaments and try to finish the year as No 1 once again.”
Bob and his brother Mike improved to a 59-9 record for the season following their third win in four years at the China Open in Beijing earlier this month.
So dominant were their performances in Beijing that they did not drop a set through the week and only lost eight points on serve on their way to beating Carlos Berlocq and Denis Istomin in less than an hour in the final to help themselves to a seventh crown this season.
Mike Bryan also set a personal record while winning his 84th career doubles title, an all-time record, overtaking Australian Todd Woodbridge’s mark of 83 trophies. His brother is on 82 tour-level wins.
“Obviously we have a lot of confidence right now. We have had an incredible summer, a great run, one of the best runs of our career. We’re feeling very good,” Bob added.
Despite their incredible form this year, which saw them lift the US Open at Flushing Meadows for a fourth time, the Bryans have never won the Shanghai tournament. And that run continued when they were thrashed in the second round here last week by Eric Butorac and Philipp Petzschner 6-1, 6-0.
“This is one of the tournaments we want to check off our list,” Mike said.
Either way, the tussle for the player holding the record for the most number of doubles win on the ATP Men’s Tour is going to be contested between the two siblings.
“It’s an honour no doubt as there are some incredible names towards the top of the list and it is humbling to be in such elite company,” Mike added.
