TOP Filipino Davis Cupper Treat Huey and Jerzy Janowicz of Poland gave top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan a big scare before the American twins escaped with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 win Saturday in the men’s doubles final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.
Playing together for the first time in the tournament, Huey and Janowicz tried to ride the momentum of their unexpected impressive run in the main draw but the Bryans, the Olympic champions and winners of all four Grand Slams, worked like clockwork in the deciding set and averted a monumental collapse.
It was the Bryans’ third straight win via tiebreak in the tournament which was a major leg in the ATP World Tour Masters 1,000.
The Bryans pocketed the $245,000 (about P10 million) top purse, while Huey and Janowicz earned $125,492 as runners-up.
Huey is likely to shoot up in the world rankings from his present 36th. His strong performance is also expected to rub into the Philippine Davis Cup team which will vie for the Asia-Oceania Group 2 finals against Thailand early next month in Lapu Lapu City.
Huey and Janowicz made the finals after besting highly rated players Alexander Peya of Austria and Bruno Soares of Brazil, 7-5, 1-6, 12-10, Friday.
They also counted as their victims high-profile singles players who were entered as wild cards in the doubles events.
That included British World No. 3 Andy Murray and his brother Jamie who bowed to Huey and Janowicz, 6-3, 7-5, in the second round, and American Davis Cuppers James Blake and Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-2, in the quarterfinals. Marc Anthony Reyes