Bryan brothers debut

Bryce Alderton

It might have come a little too late for college, but brothers Mike

and Bob Bryan, the top-ranked doubles team in the world, will finally

get the chance to play for family friend and legendary coach Dick

Leach when the Newport Beach Breakers host the Delaware Smash tonight

in a World Team Tennis match at 7 p.m. at the Palisades Tennis Club

in Newport Beach.

The Bryans, 26, identical twins, make their WTT debut tonight in

the first of four matches competing for the Breakers (2-1), guided by

Leach, who led the USC men’s team to four national titles.

The Bryans started playing doubles together when they were 6 and

grew up playing with Leach’s son Rick, also an accomplished doubles

player, and gained the admiration of the elder Leach, who tried to

lure them to USC. The Bryans, who grew up and reside in Camarillo,

ultimately chose Stanford because the team boasted several national

team members whom they knew.

Dick Leach, though, made his mark on the brothers and they are

eagerly looking forward to playing for him for four matches.

“Having [Dick Leach] on the chair and giving us his wisdom is

going to be great,” Bob Bryan said.

The Bryans helped Stanford to team titles in 1997 and 1998 before

bursting onto the professional scene, where they claimed the French

Open title in 2003, becoming the first brothers duo to finish first

in the Association of Tennis Professionals points race and garner a

No. 1 world ranking.

So far in 2004 the Bryans have amassed a 24-4 match record while

claiming four titles. They reached the Australian Open final in

January while advancing to the semifinals at the French Open last

month.

They are gearing their games for the Davis Cup and the Olympics,

but eagerly look forward to the WTT season.

“We just spent nine weeks in Europe so it’s going to be a great to

get a break from the tour,” said Mike Bryan, who is two minutes older

than Bob. “We love playing for teams in a team format.

The Bryans are making their second appearance in WTT. They

competed for Boise in 1999, their first year on the professional

tour.

“We love to interact with the fans and it’s great to have the

crowd so involved,” Mike Bryan said. “We usually do one or two chest

bumps a tournament and I think we may be breaking them out because it

is going to be a fun atmosphere.”

The Breakers have given their fans something to cheer about in

their first two home matches earlier this week, needing overtime to

defeat both Springfield and St. Louis.

The Bryan brothers’ arrival eschews in the beginnings of a

star-studded cast for the Breakers for their remaining 11 matches.

Maria Sharapova, 17, who became the third youngest women’s Wimbledon

champion when she defeated top-seeded Serena Williams in straight

sets last weekend. Sharapova, the lone Breakers’ returner, will

compete in home matches Wednesday and July 17.

The Bryan brothers’ other home match will be July 20 against the

Sacramento Capitals, coached by their father, Wayne Bryan.

“It’s going to be very difficult playing against my dad because

he’s always on the sidelines pulling for us, but I think, in his

heart, he’s going to be pulling for us, too,” Mike Bryan said. “I

don’t know if he’ll give us any tips on [Mark Knowles and Dmitry

Tursunov], but it’s going to be fun anyway.”