 "Photo: Kelly Calligan, Asst. Photo Editor")
 "Photo: Kelly Calligan, Asst. Photo Editor")
 "Photo: Kelly Calligan, Asst. Photo Editor")
Families are fractured fairly easily in today's society.
Parents fall out of love, split their assets - including children - and go their separate ways.
For Stephan and Billy Timu, it happened a different way.
Their parents are happily married. The brothers said the couple is just as in love today as the day they were married in Romania.
It wasn't divorce or marital strain that separated the brothers.
It was a little yellow ball.
Tennis has allowed Stephan and Billy to each accumulate thousands of frequent flyer miles while traveling to tournaments all over the world.
Name a place: Europe, Australia, nearly every state in America.
One of the Timu brothers has probably been there.
But usually without the other.
Because of their three-year age difference, the brothers rarely played in the same tournaments and were almost never in the same location.
And when Stephan was ready to go away to college, this became even more pronounced.
"When (Stephan) was at college, he was already out of the picture at home, except for one month a year - that was tough," Billy said.
Stephan earned a scholarship to the University of Georgia, where he played from 2001 to 2004. He spent nine months per year training in Athens, Ga. and the rest of the year competing against the world's best.
But, ironically, it was tennis that helped the Timus get so close in the first place. Early in their lives, they played competitively against other young players.
Sharing a passion for tennis united the two. It brought the already-close brothers even closer.
"We had a good relationship," Stephan said. "Most brothers pick fights with each other, but we rarely did."
When the brothers were reunited, as has become the norm for this family, it was once again tennis that was responsible.
After an injury forced him to redshirt in 2004-05, Stephan spoke to a close friend about transferring. That friend? Former San Diego State great Ryan Redondo.
Redondo suggested he speak with SDSU head coach Gene Carswell, and it worked.
Stephan instantly felt a rapport with Carswell and loved his coaching style. In his conversations with Carswell, Stephan mentioned that his younger brother was graduating from high school and in the midst of college recruiting.
And Carswell saw the chance for the Aztec program to make a big splash.
"The two of them were looking for a place that was a good fit for both of them," Carswell said. "It was a coup for us to land these two players."
Now, the two guys share a room in Zura Residence Hall. They eat together, hang out together and practice together.
For the first time after several years apart, they are side-by-side every day and, because of that, life is great - for now.
"Now that we're back together, it's great," Billy said. "(Stephan) has helped me get used to college life."
Their love may once again be brotherly, but don't forget - that room they share can seem pretty small.
"It's been great so far, but it could be a long semester," Stephan said. "Ask me again in May."
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