Bryan brothers lead Dreams past Freedoms in tennis

As Marcelo Melo's return sailed over the net, Mike Bryan yelled "Going out" and he and his brother, Bob, ducked in unison.

When the shot did land well behind the baseline to give the Bryan brothers a 5-1 set win over the Philadelphia Freedoms men's doubles team of Melo and Robby Ginepri, the Bryans converged near the net and jumped up for their signature chest bump.

The lopsided set win led the visiting California Dream (8-4) to a 22-16 World TeamTennis win over the Freedoms (4-8) at The Pavilion at Villanova University on Sunday night. The Bryans led the Dream in multiple ways, winning their set by three games. Bob teamed up with Anabel Medina Garrigues to win the mixed doubles set, 5-2.

The Byrans, who are 37-year-old identical twins and ranked the No. 1 men's doubles team in the world, were also able to play with The Chris Paterno Band before the match, Bob on the keyboard and Mike on the guitar and drums.

"I think we're more nervous for the music than we are the tennis," Mike said before the match. "It doesn't come as naturally as the tennis."

Since winning their first Grand Slam at the French Open in 2002, the Bryans have won an all-time record 16 major titles, making them the most successful pairing in tennis history.

Against Melo and Ginepri, the Bryans aggressively rushed the net most points and offered the Freedoms two options: wait for them to make a mistake or try and place a lob over their heads. Ultimately, the Bryans used their 6-foot-3 frames and overpowering strokes and volleys to win by the biggest margin of the match's five sets.

Overall, Ginepri fell to the Dream's Tennys Sandgren, 5-4, in men's singles, the Freedoms' Taylor Townsend beat Jarka Gajdosova, 5-2, in women's singles, the Bryans won, 5-1, in men's doubles, Townsend and Ashley Spears fell, 5-4, in women's doubles to Gajdosova and Medina Garrigues, and then Bob Bryan and Medina Garrigues finished the Dream's win with a 5-2 win over Melo and Townsend to end the night.