US OPEN

September 6, 2002

Mike Bryan

Lisa Raymond

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

MIKE BRYAN: I just think we're both all-around players. We have every shot. We can do basically anything. I mean, I know that she definitely can. She has the lob, the dipper, she goes up the line on the guy really well. She comes up and sticks her volley better than anyone I've seen. So, I mean, mixed doubles, I think it comes down more to the woman. They're hitting most of the balls. She's No. 1 in the world, so that's why she wins so many of these.

LISA RAYMOND: Also, I mean, we get along great. I think mixed doubles, you know, you certainly have to gel out there as far as your game's concerned, but I think you want to have a good time.

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah.

LISA RAYMOND: Mike's such a great guy to be around. He's got such great energy. That's good for me to be around as well, so...

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, it was a fun week. I was stoked to see myself in the draw with Lisa. I was in Long Island. My brother signed me up with her. He was over here I guess just fishing around for partners. He grabbed Lisa for me. I was so happy.

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah. Came back to backfire on my brother actually in the final.

LISA RAYMOND: Exactly (laughing).

LISA RAYMOND: Mike would be interested, hear his point of view as far as how it's going in the men's game as well. But for us, I think what people need to realize, what, you know, television producers or tournament directors need to realize is that the average woman, or even male at the country club or at the club level, plays doubles. They love to come out and they love to watch it. I can't tell you how many times I come off the court or, you know, people say, "God, I wish -- we love watching you guys. I wish we could watch more of it on television." I say, "Write letters. Do something. Say something. Speak up." That's what the average tennis players want to see. I mean, they love watching it. The fact that we were able to play on television today was great. See some mixed doubles.

MIKE BRYAN: It's gonna help a lot. It's just gonna put doubles out there. People can watch doubles on a daily basis. Comes down to TV, they don't show a lot of doubles on TV so the names aren't there. So when people go to the tournaments, they're not really known - us. They don't walk out there and know who's No. 1 in the world. It comes down to TV and putting us on the show courts.

LISA RAYMOND: What a huge marketing tool, they could utilize Bob and Mike. Brothers. You know, doing great. Top 10 in the world. You know, that's just -- again, that comes down to both television and tournament directors putting us out there, putting us into -- more marketing matches. Not sixth at 11 on Court 13, we play at 11 o'clock at night.

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah.

MIKE BRYAN: I'm going to rub it in a little bit on the flight home. We're both pretty stoked to get to the finals. Bob and I, we maxed out the mixed doubles, came and did all we could do. We're pretty stoked about that. It's just a good story to tell to your kids, that you're both in the Grand Slam mixed doubles final and I happen to get it. Uncle Mike, I mean brother Mike, his kids will be saying, "Uncle Mike took you out."

LISA RAYMOND: No, he was playing in Long Island.

MIKE BRYAN: I was actually in Long Island, Bob was playing quallies here. I was going to play with Liezel Huber, she broke her rib or had a stress fracture. I didn't have a mixed doubles partner last second. Bob was over here. How did it work out? Did he go to you?

LISA RAYMOND: I kind of -- my coach knows these guys really well, actually used to work with them a little while back. So, you know, I had played some with Leander Paes. We had kind of run our course. I said to him before the tournament, "Why don't we look for maybe some new partners and maybe kind of mix it up, for whatever reason, just something different." I didn't have a partner. Liezel had actually come to me and said, "You know, I don't think I'm going to be able to play." I was like, "Oh, Mike will be available." Then I think David, my coach, called Bob or Mike, I'm not sure. I think he called Bob because he had Bob's cell phone number and said, "Listen, Lisa's looking."

LISA RAYMOND: I mean, it's not easy, you know. We got to remember, this is a business. As much as, you know, there's friendships involved, you know, you're playing for money, you're playing for titles. There's nothing more precious than a Grand Slam title, doesn't matter - singles titles or mixed. You just kind have had to separate and say, "Listen, this isn't anything personal, but it's a business."

MIKE BRYAN: Breaking up pretty tough. Bob broke up with his long-time Wimbledon partner, played for three years with her. She was lowly ranked. He wanted to go, move on to Srebotnik, they were playing wet. It got nasty. Her coach knew us, was telling us how disappointing it was, how we're liars, she was crying.

LISA RAYMOND: They just have to realize it's just -- it's not nothing personal, it's nothing against them as a person, you know. It's just look, these guys are top doubles players in the world, they want to play with -- same with me, I want to play with someone who's a top doubles players because I want to win titles.

LISA RAYMOND: Yeah, I won my first one actually here with him. I don't know where it is (looking at the trophy)... What year was it?

LISA RAYMOND: '96.

MIKE BRYAN: I won the Juniors in '96, yeah.

LISA RAYMOND: No, I think he does something with investment banking. Is that true?

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, he's taking our money.

LISA RAYMOND: Is he really?

MIKE BRYAN: Yeah, he does.