Mike Bryan and Jack Sock named men's doubles ITF World Champions
After another remarkable season that earned five big titles to him, the 40-year-old Mike Bryan is the oldest year-end number 1 player in the history of the ranking, improving his tally to 121 ATP titles. As we all know, he claimed the vast majority of these titles with his twin brother Bob, forming the greatest doubles team in the history of the game and securing numerous records unlikely to ever be repeated again. Instead of his brother, Mike had to win Wimbledon, US Open and the ATP Finals with Jack Sock, as Bob suffered a right hip injury in the final of Madrid that required a surgery on August 2, sidelining him for the rest of the season and allowing Mike and Jack to play together and conquer the doubles tennis world.
After early exits at Queen's and Eastbourne, Bryan and Sock survived some epic Wimbledon matches to go all the way and lift the title, the fourth at the All England Club for Mike and the first in five years. Mike was beaten in the final of Washington together with Edouard Roger-Vasselin, followed by a shaky run in Toronto and Cincinnati after regrouping with Jack, preparing themselves for the home Major in New York where they shined again, beating Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the title match to lift back-to-back Grand Slam crowns.
Mike suffered another loss in the final of Vienna together with Edouard Roger-Vasselin but he and Jack played their best tennis when it mattered again at the ATP Finals, toppling Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 13-11 in the match tie break of the final clash for the fifth ATP Finals crown in Mike's career after winning the first one with his brother in Houston 15 years ago! After five big titles and rock solid season overall, Mike is by far the best doubles player in the world and he and Jack have been named men's doubles ITF World Champions.
This is the 12th honor of this kind for Mike in the last 16 years, earning the previous 11 with his brother, and the first one for Jack who pretty much saved his season after terrible results in singles, finishing the year outside the top-100 for the first time since 2013. This is the first ITF World Champion award for Mike Bryan since 2014 and another testimony of his everlasting quality, winning the biggest trophies with two different partners and setting his eyes on similar goals in 2019 when he will reunite with his brother in Auckland. Men's doubles ITF World Champions:
2018: Mike Bryan (USA) / Jack Sock (USA) 2017: Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) 2016: Jamie Murray (GBR) / Bruno Soares (BRA) 2015: Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) / Horia Tecau (ROU) 2014: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2013: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2012: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2011: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2010: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2009: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2008: Daniel Nestor (CAN) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) 2007: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2006: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2005: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2004: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2003: Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) 2002: Daniel Nestor (CAN) / Mark Knowles (BAH) 2001: Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) / Todd Woodbridge (AUS) 2000: Todd Woodbridge (AUS) / Mark Woodforde (AUS) 1999: Mahesh Bhupathi (IND) / Leander Paes (IND) 1998: Jacco Eltingh (NED) / Paul Haarhuis (NED) 1997: Todd Woodbridge (AUS) / Mark Woodforde (AUS) 1996: Todd Woodbridge (AUS) / Mark Woodforde (AUS)
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2S1MDzc
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