Bob & Mike Bryan clinched their 38th career Masters 1000 title at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over the inform pair of Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic.
Tight first set head the way of the Americans
Bob Bryan began the contest with a stronghold to 15. Marach followed suit with a love service game to make it 1-1. Mike Bryan and Mate Pavic also held their serves to make it 2-2 as all four players holding. The Americans continued their strong start on serve and held their second straight service game to love to edge out a tight early contest, 3-2.
The 37-year-old Austrian made the first big mistake during his service game as he sent a volley into the net to gift the Bryans two breakpoints. Marach sent a second serve down the middle but the return fell to the Croatian who sent the game to a deciding deuce point. Showing tremendous defense, the Austrian finished the point with a volley to the feet of Mike Bryan to hold, 3-3.
The Bryans continued to dominate on serve, holding once more to love for 4-3. Two more service games passed and the third seeds were put under pressure once more. The Americans at 30-all, attacked their opponents as they raced towards the net, however, Marach's volley went out as he and Pavic faced two set points.
The pair dug in and managed to save two break/set points en route to making it 5-5. Both teams held one more time to send the set to a tiebreaker. With five breaks in the breaker, the Bryans broke twice in a row from 2-5 down to earn a third set point. This time, they clinched the set with Marach sending a forehand wide.
Bryans win their first Masters title of the year
Up a set and with the momentum on their side, the Bryans raced away to a love-40 lead on the Pavic serve to bring up four breakpoints. The fourth seeds were forced to dig in deep and save three break points to send the game to a deciding point.
However, the fourth seeds broke but almost immediately, the Austrian-Croatian pair broke back with their third breakpoint to get the set back on level terms at 1-1. The first hold of the set went to the Austrian, saving a break point en route to making it 1-2. The fourth-seeded Americans then held their first service game of the set to love for 2-2.
And once again, Pavic found himself in trouble on serve as the American twins fashioned another two break points. They had their first saved but broke their opponents with Pavic serving a double-fault. They consolidated the break to love for a 4-2 lead. Two service games later, the Austrian-Croatian pairing was left serving to stay in the match at 5-3.
However, the Bryans showed their experience and raced ahead to a love-40 lead forcing the error from the 24-year-old Pavic. The Americans secured their second Masters title of the year and their 38th in total thanks to another Pavic double-fault, his and Marach's fourth of the final.