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Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi have extra motivation this week at the BNP Paribas Open. Since making his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 debut in 1997 at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, the 39-year-old Mirnyi has won 16 doubles titles at this level. Of the current Golden 9, Indian Wells remains the only title missing from his collection. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Huey has his sights sets on a first Masters 1000 title following a runner-up finish in the desert four years ago.
What makes these Masters 1000 tournaments special?
Mirnyi: There’s a lot to play for. The best teams are playing. There’s a lot of points, prize money, and this is where you can improve your game and move up the [Emirates ATP Doubles] Rankings.
Huey: Especially being here [in Indian Wells], this is the best doubles tournament of the year. It’s all the top doubles teams and pretty much all the top singles guys playing in doubles also, competing for the title. It’s all the best players in the world playing doubles, so it’s a lot of fun. The crowd here always loves doubles; it’s always packed. We obviously love that.
What's your favourite Masters 1000 tournament?
Mirnyi: They are all unique and different in their own way, but this one certainly stands out from a doubles perspective because the following for doubles here seems to be the biggest. It being in the Southern California region, there’s a lot of universities, the recreational tennis developed very well, so it seems like everyone that comes in here plays tennis and that helps for us to play our best tennis in front of them.
Huey: Same, I obviously think this is the best. Being a doubles guy, there’s nothing better than say for us playing first round here with three or four thousand fans in the crowd, playing Stan [Wawrinka] and Grigor [Dimitrov], two great guys. It’s a fun atmosphere, the crowd getting into it. We played well. It’s a good atmosphere to play in and as a player you love playing in front of tons of people, so it’s great.
Is there a Masters 1000 match that stands out?
Huey: Four years ago I made the final here [with Jerzy Janowicz], played the Bryans, night match on Stadium. It was pretty packed, playing the Bryans here in California, so that was a lot of fun and a great atmosphere.
Mirnyi: For me, it’s ironic, but [this tournament] also sticks out, but I lost in the finals here twice. Back in 2002, I played here with Roger Federer and we lost to [Daniel] Nestor and [Mark] Knowles. That was a very close match. Many years later I played here with Andy Ram and we lost to [Andy] Roddick & [Mardy] Fish, so this is the only Masters 1000 title that has eluded me so far and those are the losses that probably stand out and are the more painful.
How hungry are you to win the Indian Wells title because of that?
Mirnyi: Very hungry.
Huey: Yeah, let’s win it. Let’s do it.

'The Beast' reflects on legendary career

In his 22nd season on tour, Belarusian Max Mirnyi is still celebrating career milestones. On Tuesday, the 40-year-old ATP World Tour legend became the fourth active player in the Open Era (since April 1968) to record 750 doubles match wins.
Mirnyi partnered with Philipp Oswald of Austria to beat Chinese wild cards Mao-Xin Gong and Ze Zhang 7-6(5), 6-1 and advance to the second round of the Shenzhen Open.
“I am thrilled that I have come to this stage of my career. It is something that I couldn't have imagined at the beginning of the road,” said Mirnyi, who turned professional in 1996. “Just playing on the ATP World Tour was already a dream come true and I am so glad that this dream for me still lives on. I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, my coaches and every one of my doubles partners who helped me achieve this feat.”
Mirnyi
Open Era Doubles Match Wins List
Player
Doubles Match Wins
Daniel Nestor
1,053
Mike Bryan
1,052
Bob Bryan
1,038
Todd Woodbridge
782
Max Mirnyi
750
Mirnyi, who earned the nickname “The Beast” years ago for his 6'5” stature and fearless play, has had success with a number of partners throughout his career.
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In 2004, he won three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles with Mahesh Bhupathi and one with a certain Swiss player by the name of Roger Federer. Three years later, Mirnyi partnered with Jonas Bjorkman, who now coaches Croatian Marin Cilic, and captured seven titles, including three Masters 1000 crowns, the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals and Roland Garros.
Just last year, Mirnyi and Treat Huey of the Philippines won the Acapulco doubles title and qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in London, the 10th time Mirnyi has competed at the prestigious event. For his career, the right-hander has won 49 tour-level doubles titles, including 16 Masters 1000 crowns and six Grand Slam titles, with 18 different partners.

The victory is Mirnyi's fifth at the VTB Kremlin Cup
Sunday was not Max Mirnyi’s first trip to titletown — not even close. But it will certainly be a moment that the 40 year old won’t soon forget.
Mirnyi won his 50th ATP World Tour doubles title, joining Philipp Oswald to defeat singles champion Damir Dzumhur and Antonio Sancic, 6-3, 7-5, in the final of the VTB Kremlin Cup.
“You never can say the victory was easy just looking at the score,” Mirnyi said. “There is always a special pressure when you are playing at home. And I think the VTB Kremlin Cup is a home tournament for me as unfortunately we haven't got an ATP tournament in Minsk...many of my relatives and friends came to watch my matches and that is the one more reason to show your best. And when you managed to do this, it is a great pleasure.”
It was the Belarusian’s fifth VTB Kremlin Cup title with his fifth different partner. In his career, Mirnyi has partnered 19 different players to at least one title, starting with Kevin Ullyett in Shanghai 20 years ago.
Sunday’s victory was his first since capturing last year’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel with Treat Huey.
Mirnyi/Oswald did not drop a set en route to the title, with this event their fourth main draw appearance together. Oswald leaves Moscow with his third title this season after winning the Ecuador Open (w/Cerretani) and the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open (w/Marach).
“It means a lot because when you look at the list of winners with Max, he’s won this tournament five times with Federer and all those top stars and now it also says 50th title with Oswald,” Oswald said. “Partnering with Max is like being in an elite club of top players.”
Mirnyi has won three of his 50 titles with Roger Federer, with two in 2002 (Rotterdam, Moscow) and another in 2003 (Miami).
Dzumhur came close to becoming the first player to win both the singles and doubles title in Moscow in the same year since Nikolay Davydenko in 2004.
It was Sancic’s second doubles final. He lost in the final of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag with Nikola Mektic.
Mirnyi and Oswald earned 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points each and will split $40,400 in prize money, while Dzumhur and Sancic take 150 points and will share $21,240.

The Beast' hits milestone

Max Mirnyi, who is contesting his 25th season as pro, recorded his 1,000th overall match win — both in singles and doubles — on Friday when he partnered Philipp Oswald to the ASB Classic final.

The 40-year-old Belarusian has now notched 756 doubles victories and 244 as a singles player. He has a 50-44 record in doubles title matches, with his lone singles crown coming at the 2003 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (d. Sluiter).

Mirnyi and Oswald booked their places in a second ATP World Tour final as a team (2017 VTB Kremlin Cup) with a 7-6(7), 7-6(6) victory over second seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus in one hour and 39 minutes.

They will take on the in-form Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who captured last week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open title (d. Murray/Soares), in Saturday’s final. Read Doha Report

Marach and Pavic will look to improve upon their 2-3 record in tour-level finals after they defeated third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta 6-4, 4-6, 10-6 in a 78-minute semi-final.

ATPWorldTour.com talks exclusively to Mirnyi on the 15th anniversary of meeting a young Federer en route to his lone ATP World Tour singles title at 2003 Rotterdam

The ‘Beast’ is largely remembered these days, in his 25th season as a professional, as one of the finest doubles players of his generation, capable of aggressive, tactically adept play both from the baseline and at the net. But just like every player who aspires to make a living from the sport, you begin your life as a singles player. Max Mirnyi, initially, competed in both singles and doubles competition, his appetite whetted at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with the likes of Tommy Haas and Andre Sa on tennis and basketball courts.

“My singles career and wins I earned, got me to a combined 1,000 match wins recently,” Mirnyi told ATPWorldTour.com. “A big reason why I was the player I am in doubles, is because I played a lot of both disciplines early in my tennis development. I enjoyed it and I don’t look back, thinking if I hadn’t had played more doubles, then I could have done a bit better in singles.”

Fifteen years ago, Mirnyi arrived at the Rotterdam Ahoy unsure of his chances in a loaded singles draw, fatigued and hoping to figure out a way to work himself into form. “I really had no expectations coming in, so remember thinking I’d take it one match at a time,” said Mirnyi, reflecting on the 2003 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

For one glorious week, his serve and volley, attacking tennis, fluent movement and positive intent guaranteed the Belarusian one of his most memorable periods of his career as he came through a who’s who of ATP World Tour stars for the Rotterdam title.

“The memories are so fresh, as it was the only singles title I could win,” said Mirnyi. “Fifteen years later, it is so vivid and I’m incredibly proud of it. It’s definitely one of the better tournaments on the circuit and being indoors and where it’s played, makes it an historic arena. It’s great to be part of the group that has won in Rotterdam.”

Before Mirnyi in February 2003, stood two future Top 10 stars in Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic, a former World No. 1 in Yevgeny Kafelnikov and a future global leader of the sport, Roger Federer, who was then ranked No. 5 in the ATP Rankings.

“I believe I played Mario Ancic in the first round, which was a tough match [6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-4], then I had another big Croatian server in the second round, in Ivan Ljubicic,” recalls Mirnyi. “That match got cut short, as he got hurt [at 2-4 in the first set], but it helped me, as afterwards I felt like I was able to spread my wings a bit. I had a bit of a breather and got comfortable playing on the courts.

“Playing against Kafelnikov was like looking up to an older brother, as we’d once shared a house together at Wimbledon. I tried to soak in and learn as much as possible from him, a champion, his daily routines. So playing against him was trickier than playing Roger [in the semi-finals], because I had that connection. It was a tough match [7-6(5), 7-6(4)] and a nervous experience. I definitely wanted to beat him, but I had so much respect for him.”

Mirnyi

Then came Federer, Mirnyi's doubles partner in Rotterdam. Not the player who this week seeks to overtake Rafael Nadal and return to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for a record-extending 303rd week, but a 21-year-old Swiss with a burgeoning reputation and three ATP World Tour crowns to his name.

Mirnyi, speaking with a wealth of experience, following encounters against Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, through to the current day goliaths, remembers, “Roger wasn’t the player he is now, but he was on the way up and I could feel there was something special about his game.

“These days everyone seems to move the ball around the court with so much ease, but back then Roger stood out by using different spins. I felt guys I’d played up to at that point, the ball was coming at me the same, but with Roger I always started seeing different trajectories of the ball. I wasn’t sure why. Soon after we found out what was up his sleeve. I maybe was a little fortunate, coming in and serving and volleying, taking it to him to win [5-7, 6-3, 6-4].”

The atmosphere for the final was fun, the Dutch fans educated and well versed, but their hearts were with Raemon Sluiter, who was hoping to follow in the footsteps of Tom Okker (1974) and Richard Krajicek (1995, 1997) - the current Tournament Director (since 2004) - as a homegrown champion in Rotterdam.

“Going into the final, playing Sluiter was no easy task, but game wise I knew I could match up well again him. He’d played and beaten me in Challenger matches in the past, but that day I felt the matches that got me to the final, would get me over my hump. He was an offensive player, a tough opponent taking the ball early as I came forward. But I used a lot of body serves and got him moving up the court in order to try to pass me.”

Mirnyi held his nerve to beat Sluiter 7-6(3), 6-4 and was thrilled to win the Rotterdam title. “It was phenomenal.”

Later that day, after a brief rest, Mirnyi returned to the Centre Court and almost made it a double celebration, when he partnered Federer in the doubles final. They lost 7-6(4), 6-2 to Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley, but Mirnyi fondly remembers, “It was fun and I treasure that moment today. As Roger and I also played in the doubles that week, his coach at the time, Peter Lundgren, was looking after and helping us both in practice. That weekend, Belarus ice hockey team beat the iconic Swiss, so there was a lot to cheer.”

Four months later, on 9 June 2003, Mirnyi became No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings. For years, the silver Rotterdam trophy took pride of place in his Belarus home, but, gathering dust, he recently took the decision, with his father, Nikolai, to move it – and his 50 doubles crowns, including six Grand Slam doubles titles – to the Max Mirnyi Sports Centre in Minsk and inspire the next generation from Belarus.

One day, Mirnyi will dig out old video tapes, and latterly CDs or USB sticks of his singles matches, and reflect on his career and former glories, but for now the 40-year-old is still out there between the lines.

Mirnyi/Oswald to compete for New York title Sunday
Second seeds Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald ousted home favourites Ryan Harrison and Steve Johnson 4-6, 6-4, 10/7 at the New York Open on Saturday to advance to their second final of the year (l. in Auckland).

But more notably, it secured Mirnyi his 100th combined tour-level final appearance. The Belarusian made four singles finals in his career (1-3) and will compete in his 96th doubles championship match (50-45) on Sunday.

If the 40-year-old and his partner raise the trophy in New York on Sunday, Mirnyi will have won a tour-level doubles title in 18 of the past 20 seasons. The former No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings has made at least one final in every season since 1997. Mirnyi and Oswald will play the winner between Wesley Koolhof/Artem Sitak and Radu Albot/Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Tour-Level Final
It is the pair’s second title together (2017 Moscow) in their third final (l. 2018 Auckland). Mirnyi will leave New York with his 51st tour-level doubles trophy (51-45) and Oswald his seventh (7-4).

Mirnyi and Oswald advanced to the final at the ASB Classic in the second week of the season, but fell in a Match Tie-Break against Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who have won three tour-level titles in 2018.

From 4/3 in the Match Tie-Break, the champions won five of six points to open a 9/4 lead that they would not relinquish. The pair won their final nine points on serve in the match. Mirnyi and Oswald landed 76 per cent of first serves in the final, saving seven of eight break points they faced.

The pair earns 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points and a split of $36,230. Koolhof and Sitak, who were pursuing their first ATP World Tour title together in their third final (2017 Atlanta, 2017 Metz) claim 150 points and a share of $19,040.