Paris, France – Bob and Mike Bryan are halfway to a calendar year Grand Slam after outlasting the French duo of Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut for the men's doubles title at the French Open.
The top-seeded Americans earned a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) triumph in Saturday's final to follow up their title at the Australian Open in January. The Bryans captured the French crown for the second time, also winning at Roland Garros in 2003, and now own 14 career Grand Slam titles.
Llodra and Mahut were trying to become the first Frenchmen to win the men's doubles championship at Roland Garros since Henri Leconte and Yannick Noah in 1984.
The Bryans broke once to take the first set and the French tandem broke twice to capture the second. There were no breaks in the third and the French team opened a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker, but didn't win another point as the Bryans captured the last five.
Mahut sent a forehand wide to deflate the partisan crowd and give the Bryans the title. The 35-year-old twins improved to 2-3 in French Open finals, which includes a loss in last year's title match to Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor.
Llodra has four Grand Slam doubles titles to his credit, but none with Mahut, who was playing in his first major championship finale.
Mahut is best known for playing in the longest-ever tennis match when he lost to American John Isner in an 11-plus-hour, three-day opening-round singles affair at Wimbledon three years ago, which included a jaw-dropping 70-68 fifth set.
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