Former SMU Tennis Star Advances Past World No. 2 In Olympic Doubles

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LONDON (Olympics/SMU) – Former SMU All-American Johan Brunstrom advanced to the second round of men’s tennis doubles at the Olympics. He and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden combined to defeat ATP No. 2 Novak Djokavic and Viktor Troicki of Serbia on Monday at the All England Club. Brunstrom becomes SMU’s first tennis player to advance at the Olympics.

The Swedish pair won in straight sets, 7-6 (8), 6-3. Djokavic has won five Grand Slam singles events in his career, was the 2011 ATP Player of the Year, and recently won the Best Male Tennis Player ESPY Award.

Brunstrom, a three-time All-American during his collegiate career, is currently ranked 31st in the world doubles rankings. Lindstedt is ranked 10th. Brunstrom has advanced to tournament finals 10 times in his doubles career, winning the Swiss Open on clay in Gstaad, Switzerland in August 2010. His latest final came at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, R.I., in July 2011.

Brunstom is SMU’s first men’s tennis doubles participant and second male tennis player to appear in the Olympics. Richey Reneberg represented the USA in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but posted a DNF in his first singles event. Reneberg won the 1992 U.S. Open Doubles Championship and the 1995 Australian Open Doubles Championship.

The next match for Brunstrom and Lindstedt will be Tuesday against Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig of Croatia. A win would advance the duo to the quarterfinals.