DAVIS CUP FIRST ROUND: SWITZERLAND v USA
March 7, 2009
Mike Bryan
Bob Bryan
Patrick McEnroe
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
BRYAN-BRYAN/Allegro-Wawrinka
6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6
TIM CURRY: The Bryans set the record today for the most wins by a doubles team. They're now 15-2 together. As a note, the United States is 68-9 when leading 2-1 going into the final day.
Q. What was this about a fraternity but without the drinking?
BOB BRYAN: Just saying how tight we were. We were all at Stanford, there was a little drinking in that. But we stay away from the booze on the Davis Cup team.
Q. You've seen a lot of doubles teams over the years, Patrick. Can you position these guys in relation to the other great doubles teams, Smith and Lutz...
CAPTAIN McENROE: They're certainly right there at the top. If not at the top, certainly pretty darn close. You know, what's always impressed me about them, in addition to what they do on match day, is their preparation, just how professional they are, how motivated they are to go out there and perform on the Saturday.
To me, that says a lot because when you're willing to sort of look into the mirror and say, We're going to put everything we can into trying to win this match, then there's no excuses. You don't win 'em all. But I really admire the way they sort of put it all out there and say, This is a huge match.
They've always responded well to that and they enjoy that kind of pressure, to put it on themselves, to play for their team, their teammates and the country.
Q. Are they in a mold of a past team?
CAPTAIN McENROE: Absolutely, no question. I mean, Smith, Lutz. My brother and Fleming. Obviously, Leetch and Pugh, Flach/Seguso. I mean, look, they're surpassing those teams.
As I've told them many times, I hope it happens. I think they got a lot more years left, the way they take care of themselves, the way they take care of business day in and day out.
Q. Mike and Bob, do you see yourselves along the same lines, as a team from the past that you've seen on tape?
MIKE BRYAN: No. I mean, we have great respect for all the teams over the years. I mean, these are all teams that were our idols growing up. To be right there with those guys is an extreme honor.
We're just plugging away. I truly didn't even know we were playing for the record today at all. I was very surprised when Gimel said that after the match. It's great to look at when you retire. When you're in the heat of the moment, still in battle, you just want to keep trying to get better and look for ways to improve.
Q. When you first broke onto the team, did you ever think you would have this kind of longevity and success?
BOB BRYAN: No, I mean, in '03 when Pat picked us, it was one of the happiest moments to kind of be on the team. It was always a dream of ours to be on the Davis Cup team. Pat called us the night before the match and said, You don't have to win this match. You guys are our guys, my guys, for the future.
I also want to thank Pat for picking us this many times. These are the matches we look forward to the most. We do give everything we got to Davis Cup. Yeah, I mean, it's a thrill having him on the sidelines helping us out all week, too. We communicate all year.
It's a team effort. We're all going a hundred percent to try to get another Davis Cup title. But this is really, yeah, most special moments for us, to win Davis Cup matches for Pat. He has the faith in us and confidence that we can help contribute to the team. That's what we're trying to do.
Q. One of you gave some bulletin board material to Stan after the match.
Are you willing to stick by the guarantee of a Roddick victory?
BOB BRYAN: He always gives a hundred percent. I don't want to put extra pressure on my teammate.
It kind of slipped out. He has an amazing record at 2-1. He puts everything out there. So, yeah, I'd rather be watching him shut the door than be playing. It's good.
TIM CURRY: Andy's record is 10-0 when he can clinch the match 2-1 on the final day.
Q. The weak link seemed to be Allegro early. Can you comment on the matchup? Did you hurt him or did he hurt himself even more?
BOB BRYAN: Davis Cup is always emotional. It's nervous times. It's a high-stress environment. You know, everyone doesn't always play their best every game. He obviously got a little jittery early and we took advantage of it in the first two sets. He settled down. We had a chance to blow 'em out there in the third with a breakpoint.
Got to give him credit, because he settled down, started playing some better tennis, making a lot more returns, serving better.
But, yeah, I mean, sometimes that happens. I mean, we get caught up in the moment out there. We just try to ride the energy and get the crowd going. I'll stop talking right now (laughter). Mike is kicking me under the table.:haha:
Q. How about rating Wawrinka? He's a gold medalist, played a solid match. You know the game inside and out. Where do you rate him among potential doubles players? Would he be up among the best if he played more?
BOB BRYAN: I think so. He's got all the skills to be a great doubles player. He won the gold medal. He showed today he was solid all the way through. He didn't feel the pressure. He made a lot of volleys, returns and serves.
I'd rate him, yeah, if he played day in and day out, I think he could be up there with the best.
Q. Yesterday the crowd sort of settled in and probably learned about what they needed to do. Was there a different vibe out there today? Talk about how they helped you late in the match in the tiebreak particularly.
MIKE BRYAN: The crowd was unbelievable. I can't speak for yesterday. I watched a set. It seemed like they were really loud and enthusiastic. Today was deafening almost between every point. It just gets in your head and you kind of lose focus, it's so loud.
But, you know, it really adds 10, 20% to our energy. It really feels like a home-court advantage. It lifts us. I think that's what kept our energy high in that breaker. They kind of pushed us through the finish line, which was nice.
Q. Patrick, can you comment on the crowd?
CAPTAIN McENROE: I think the crowd took it to the next level today. It's sort of what I was hoping would happen yesterday. I think you were right, that day one, they haven't seen too much tennis here, and certainly Davis Cup is a different kind of atmosphere. But they definitely were into it right from the first point. I think really helped our guys get off to a good start.
Certainly in the tiebreak, Mike and Bob really picked up their game there in that tiebreak, hit a couple great returns, sort of upped the ante there, got the crowd into it.
I think they got another level to go. So hopefully they can get there tomorrow for Andy's match and, if we need James in the fifth match, hopefully they'll be there for that, too.
Q. Guys, can you talk about sort of being ambassadors for doubles. Sure, people like watching singles. There's a different kind of beauty for watching and playing doubles.
MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, I mean, doubles is our life. We're always trying to get more people into the game. We do a ton of clinics and try to sign as many autographs as possible. We always thank people for coming out to the doubles. It's very nice to have a packed house out there.
Andy and James aren't coming, everyone is coming to watch us. That makes us feel really good. I'm just happy that we helped raise the popularity of doubles a little bit. We're going to hopefully do this for another five years, keep pushing ahead, because doubles is now getting on center court more often. It's days like this that really push doubles out to the front.
Q. Are you more fired up when a tie is 1-1 and you almost have to win or when it's 2-0 and you have a chance to finish it?
BOB BRYAN: It doesn't really matter. We're fired up anytime we're playing on Saturday. It's great to clinch. It's great to put Andy up 2-1, keep your team in it. Sometimes we're looking at an 0-2. So they're all special. We play it the same way every time.
Q. How aware are you of the net heads? What do they mean to you?
MIKE BRYAN: Net heads are awesome. I mean, they're fun. They really keep the crowd juiced up. When they come on the road, usually that's maybe all we've got.
CAPTAIN McENROE: In Spain last year, that's all we had.
MIKE BRYAN: They have the bells, help pump us up. Especially on the road here, the crowd was kind of drowning them out a little bit. They're cool, they got their songs, they got their faces painted.
BOB BRYAN: Yeah, it doesn't matter. You have someone to look to even on the road matches. All you need is a little pack of a hundred people going nuts, you can focus your energy on them. They've carried people through many a match out here in Davis Cup.
Q. Did you end up playing musically anywhere this week?
BOB BRYAN: No. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it. Got a little tight between practice and dinner. Week's not over yet.
CAPTAIN McENROE: They played your song today during the match. They played it during one of the changeovers.
BOB BRYAN: We have a new hit single.
CAPTAIN McENROE: Let It Rip. :haha:
