Sportskool
Tennis

Bob Bryan

In 2005, the dominance of Bob Bryan and his twin brother, Mike, hit a new level on the tennis court.

The best doubles pair in tennis won the U.S. Open, captured five titles, reached the finals of all four Grand Slams and finished as the No. 1 team in the ATP doubles race for the second time in three years.

But the twins didn't come out of nowhere in 2005. The duo has dominated doubles since they turned professional in 1998. In 2004, they won an ATP-best seven titles and reached 11 finals. They also helped the United States reach its first Davis Cup final since 1997 and reached the quarterfinals in the Olympics.

In 2003, they won their first Grand Slam, the French Open, without dropping a set. They also broke Tim and Tom Gullikson's mark for most doubles titles by a brother duo with their 11th win.

Bob Bryan won two NCAA titles at Stanford (1997-1998). In 1998, he won college tennis' triple crown - a singles, doubles (with Mike) and team title - for the first time since 1992.

Mike Bryan

In 2005, the dominance of Mike Bryan and his twin brother, Bob, hit a new level on the tennis court.

The best doubles pair in tennis won the U.S. Open, captured five titles, reached the finals of all four Grand Slams and finished as the No. 1 team in the ATP doubles race for the second time in three years.

But the twins didn't come out of nowhere in 2005. The duo has dominated doubles since they turned professional in 1998. In 2004, they won an ATP-best seven titles and reached 11 finals. They also helped the United States reach its first Davis Cup final since 1997 and reached the quarterfinals in the Olympics.

In 2003, they won their first Grand Slam, the French Open, without dropping a set. They also broke Tim and Tom Gullikson's mark for most doubles titles by a brother duo with their 11th win.

• Born April 29, 1978 in Oxnard California (two minutes older than Bob)
• Career record of 26-18 in finals
• Only second team in 50 years to reach the finals in all four Grand Slams
• Captured at least five titles for the fourth straight season and reached an ATP best 11 finals in 2005
• 58-18 match record in 2005
• Became the first brother combination to win four titles in a season in 2000
• Won two NCAA titles at Stanford (1997-98) and a doubles title with Bob (1998)
• Is right-handed

Brad Gilbert

One of the elite men's tennis players in the 1980s and early 1990s, Brad Gilbert peaked as the No. 4 singles player in 1990. But his work coaching superstars like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick will be his tennis legacy.

Gilbert coached Agassi to six Grand Slam titles in eight years, the most successful player-coach partnership (along with Tony Roche and Ivan Lendl) of the Open Era. He also helped Andy Roddick to the 2003 U.S. Open championship. He's the only coach in the history of the ATP rankings (since 1973) to lead two players to a year-end No. 1 ranking.

Gilbert wasn't a slouch as a player, however. He had a career record of 519-288, won 20 singles titles and earned more than $5,000,000 in 13 years as a professional. Not a flashy player, Gilbert was intent on destroying a more talented opponent's rhythm. He kept the ball in play and deliberately hit the ball slowly. He forced other players into long rallies and attacked when they used a slow pace. He'd even challenge calls or complain about trivial things to purposely act annoying sometimes. You could say he played with his mind and won ugly. He shares his tips in a popular book he wrote, aptly titled, "Winning Ugly."

• Born August 9, 1961 in Oakland, California
• Also reached 20 finals in his ATP career
• All-American selection at Pepperdine in 1982
• NCAA singles runner-up to Mike Leach of Michigan in 1982
• Won bronze medal for the United State at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul