Paes, Dlouhy lose final battle

New York, Sept. 6: American twins Mike and Bob Bryan won their second US Open men’s doubles title and sixth Grand Slam championship overall, beating Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy 7-6 (5), 7-6 (10) on Friday.

Doubles partners for more than a dozen years, the 30-year-old brothers won in their 704th career match. The Bryans won the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and next head to Spain to help the defending champion United States in the Davis Cup.

"It’s just a lot of fun having a built-in best friend to travel the world with," Mike said. "It would be kind of a little bit boring if I was out here by myself. I don’t know if I would still be playing. If he gets hurt tomorrow, I’ll probably stop." Said Bob: "We’ll be talking about these wins for the rest of our lives."

"We’ve been through all the highs and lows together. That’s what makes our bond so tight. It’s not just the DNA," he said. Bob Bryan hoisted his brother after match point and together they lifted the championship silver bowl.

They had another reason to celebrate: Seeded second at the start of the tournament, they ended up ranked No. 1 in the world.

"This feels as good as any one we’ve ever won," Bob Bryan said. The brothers did not lose a set in their six matches, and added to the US Open title they won in 2005. — AP