Many stars of the sport have made vigorous returns to form from injuries, childbirth, burnout and other factors in recent years. Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Ashleigh Barty, Juan Martin del Potro just to name a few. Those are singles standouts, though.

In 2019, perhaps the most hotly anticipated comeback belongs to Bob Bryan, sidelined in 2018 by his not-entirely-reliable, 40-year-old body, which underwent hip surgery last August.

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"I've hated them since '97, and that hatred has only grown ever since," Robert Lindstedt, one year the twins' senior and a frequent foe over the years, deadpans in a promo for the ATP docu-series about the Bryans' return to twinning. "They've stolen so much money from me, so many titles."

Jack Sock, self-aware in winning the ATP Finals doubles crown alongside Mike Bryan in November, noted in that trophy presentation that he was merely filling in for brother Bob. The tour itself finished 2018 with a preview that planted the Bryans front and center as the team to watch.

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Now the Bryan duo, winners of a record 16 major men's doubles titles together—Mike seized two more last year, both with Sock—finds themselves scorching the competition under the hot Melbourne sun. They began the event with a two-tiebreaks victory, followed with a three-set triumph and then won a straight-sets decision against Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Next up: the formidable French pairing of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut for a spot in the semifinals.

Follow Jon on Twitter: @jonscott9.