Bryan twins fall short in bid for calendar-year Slam

Leander Paes (R) of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic are congratulated by Bob and Mike Bryan (L) of the US after they won their men's doubles match at the US Open tennis championships in New York, Sept 5, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK - American twins Bob and Mike Bryan fell short in their bid to capture a calendar-year Grand Slam when they lost 3-6 6-3 6-4 in the men's doubles semifinals at the US Open on Thursday.

The top-seeded brothers, who won this year's Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon men's doubles titles, came up short in their match against Czech Radek Stepanek and India's Leander Paes.

Paes and Stepanek raced to a 5-1 lead in the deciding set with two service breaks as the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium fell quiet. The Bryans broke Paes's serve and reached 4-5 before Stepanek served out the match to love.

The Bryans were hoping to become the first pairing to complete the prestigious calendar Slam since Australia's Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman in 1951.