By Justen Ransom/Special to BB&T Atlanta Open
The doubles finals match for the BB&T Atlanta Open could not have unfolded any better than it did Sunday afternoon. When it was all said and done, Mike and Bob Bryan took down Gilles Muller and Colin Fleming 4-6 7-6(2) 10-4. Both pairs played to their highest level and made for one of the most exciting matches of the tournament.
This match would mark the third match in less than twenty-four hours for Gilles Muller. Muller played Marcos Baghdatis in the singles semifinals and after a short 15-minute break, played Eric Butorac and Artem Sitak in the doubles semifinals. All three matches would take three sets to decide. Unfortunately, Muller would only come out on top in the semifinals match.
The first set seemed as though Muller was not affected by the amount of tennis in such a short time. Muller and Fleming were in top form against the number one doubles team in the world. Breaking Mike Bryan twice, the two cruised to a 6-4 lead in the first set.
As the second set began, each player found rhythm in their serves. Not a single service game was dropped and the score would climb to six games apiece and force a tiebreaker. The Bryan brothers were not looking to be done in two sets and made quick work with a 7-2tie break finish, taking the set 7-6(2).
The match would come down to the 10-point super tiebreak.
It became evident within the first few rallies that fatigue started to become a factor for Muller at this point in the match. Uncharacteristic volleys going wide or into the net from Muller would give the No. 1 seeds all the momentum as they rode to a 10-4 tiebreak win and their first Atlanta title.
Following the match, Mike Bryan talked about what its like playing here. “We could feel the energy from the crowd and it was fun playing on this court,” Bryan said. “This is one of the best venues in the world and we will be coming back next year.”
This win marks the pairs’ 107th career title together