World-renowned tennis doubles players (and twin brothers) Bob and Mike Bryan are slated to play in Sunday's Minnesota Tennis Challenge at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center. Rochester native Eric Butorac, also a doubles pro, helped put the event together, and Bob Bryan answered questions in advance from the Star Tribune's Michael Rand. Q How did Eric Butorac convince you to come to Minnesota for a tennis event in December?
A Eric is a great friend of ours, and we've developed a great relationship with him on the tour. We have a lot of respect for what he's doing with his foundation and a lot of respect for him as a player. So we jumped at the chance to help him with this charity event.
Q What is one key nuance of doubles tennis vs. singles tennis that a casual fan might not realize?
A Doubles and singles are two completely different sports. The top five players in the world in singles are not necessarily great doubles players. Singles has developed into a baseline game where stamina is a big part of it. Singles players have big legs, strong legs. If you look at Mike, myself and Eric, we all have pretty skinny legs but play a pretty good game of doubles. Doubles requires quick hands, a variety of different shots -- including precise returns and a high first-serve percentage. It's a game you don't really master until your early or mid-30s. ... Mike and I have very intricate strategies for every team we play, and communication and energy on the court is a big part of intimidation of teams and how we go about a match.
Q How did the chest bump after points develop into a signature move?
A We kind of stole the chest bump from the Jensen brothers. They were the first ones to do it, and we were big fans of theirs. When we were at Stanford in 1996, they were at the peak of their power. We did the move in a big match on campus at Stanford, and all our fraternity brothers and fans loved it. ... We carried it onto the tour, and it became our signature move. Tennis isn't just a sport -- it's entertainment, and we're trying to give fans their money's worth.
Q Do you guys ever play against each other in singles just for fun -- and if so, who wins?
A We do play against each other a lot. We love running around, and it keeps our game sharp to hit the shots singles players hit. But as far as who wins, this is a bad question to ask twins. We never remember our losses. I'm going to say I win all the time, and Mike would say the same thing.
