American pair Bryan and Sock save match point to win the ATP Finals Doubles title
Mike Bryan and Jack Sock ended their successful Doubles partnership in the best possible way as they beat the French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 5-7, 6-1, 13-11 int the final of the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals. The match was a replay of the final match of the Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor group which the French pair won in straight sets just a couple of days back.
American duo Mike Bryan and Jack Sock have had tremendous success during their short-term partnership. From winning the Wimbledon and US Open earlier this year, to beating the French pair of Piere-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the final of the Nitto ATP Finals 2018. The final was an absolute classic and was inarguably the best doubles match of the year and fittingly so it came in the last ATP Doubles Match of the year.
The first set saw both teams holding on their respective serves pretty well until it started to unravel for the Americans in the 7th game with the French pair winning the elusive break point. The fifth-seeded pair of Bryan and Sock immediately broke back to level the score at 4-4 but crumbled again in the 11th game handing the first set to Herbert and Mahut.
The second set was a stark contrast to the first one as the eighth-seeded French pair buckled under pressure giving away two breaks. Bryan and Sock did not lose a single break in the set as they took the second set 6-1 in just 24 minutes to level the match forcing a match tiebreak.
Unable to take advantage of five championship points during the first-to-10 match tiebreaker, Bryan and Sock labored to save one against their opponents before finally closing out the match. The Americans wasted five championship points at 9-5 before eventually winning the match tiebreak 13-11.
Mike Bryan, at 40, became the oldest ever player to lift the ATP Finals Doubles trophy. It was the American's 5th title in this event, 4 of which have come with his twin Bob Bryan.
With Bob Bryan back in training after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury, Mike is set to end his short partnership with Jack Sock and reunite with Bob going into the 2019 season.