Opinion: Brother coup for Open

THE STORY which grabbed my attention this week in the national sport pages was the Heineken Open securing two superstars of the tennis world.

At the time, I can't lie, I didn't actually know who they were.

But a quick read on Wikipedia changed all that. For those like me who had never heard of the Bryan brothers - Mike and Bob - they are identical twins from USA.

They are also the best men's doubles pairing to set foot on a tennis court.

The pair have won a record 16 Grand Slams in the doubles format, including three Wimbledon titles, six Australian Open titles, two French Open titles, and five US Open titles. They also took home a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

The pair will play in New Zealand during the Heineken Open starting on January 12.

Organisers of big sporting events are always looking to land a big drawcard like the Bryan brothers, and this year the Heineken Open organisers have really outdone themselves.

Along with the twins, seven of the top-20 men's singles players in the world (albeit only one from the top-10, David Ferrer) will attend the event.

It will certainly be well worth watching this year.

For a country which has only produced one tennis player who has won a grand slam singles title - Tony Wilding - it will be great exposure for the sport of tennis in New Zealand.

The ASB Classic starts on Monday and is held a week earlier than the Heineken Open. It will also feature the world's top female doubles paring of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci (Italy).

The ASB Classic and Heineken Open are both played at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland.

Both tournaments fall at a great time for top players who are warming-up for the Australian Open, which begins later this month.

During the Australian Open, the Bryan brothers will have a chance to add to a spectacular record. If they win the grand slam, or any Grand Slam this year, they will make it 11 years in a row were they have won a Grand Slam title.