My Sports Idol

Bob and Mike are mirror-image twins, which simply means that one is left-handed (Bob) and one is right-handed (Mike). They remind me of another exciting tennis doubles-brothers team, Luke and Murphy Jensen. Murphy is right-handed and Luke is ambidextrous and can serve 130 miles-per-hour from each hand! He has been known to switch hands between first and second server. Being a lefty has its strategic advantages. For outdoor tennis, the advantage for a lefty is that he/she never has to serve into the sun - that is if it is an afternoon tennis match. {Tennis Factoid: If an outdoor tennis court is constructed properly, the baselines should be north-south, so that neither server has an advantage/disadvantage when serving into/away from the sun.} Also, keeping the stronger shot in the middle is a strategic advantage in elite tennis because most balls are played there.

The most exciting aspect of the Bryan Brothers game - or rather persona - is the "Bryan Bump." At the conclusion of an exciting point, they will jump up and give each other a chest bump. Chest bumps in tennis? Yes!

The Bryans have been active advocates and ambassadors for the importance of doubles tennis for growing the sport. After the Bryan Brothers won the Master's Cup in Shanghai in 2005 for the 3rd year in a row the ATP Chairman was quoted as saying:

"This could not happen to a more deserving pair. They represent all we seek in great sportsmen: they are talented, dedicated and passionate; and they know how to win. And in addition, they are approachable, charismatic and highly promotable athletes and role models. We hope they will continue to play an integral and highly valued role in professional tennis." -- ATP Chairman Etienne de Villiers