Make Mine A Double

I'll be the first to admit. I love playing doubles, but love watching singles. Now Wimbledon has highlighted a few things for me with what doubles offers players either coming to the ends of their careers or just not enjoying the singles form that saw them win Slams or win various other titles completely ellude them.

See I play doubles all summer and even in the winter months with an internal club league. I love it. I was gutted to lose my playing partner last year due to retirement through injury, but having found a new one it gave me confidence of knowing I wouldn't have to endure the tortures of singles play! You don't feel so alone and plus you land more shots in rather than out

However when it comes to watching doubles it is quite painful to watch. Little bursts of energy that normally end with 3 people standing still when a winner is hit. Rallies are not the baseline slug you get used to in singles play.

I think a lot should be said for it. Navratilova, McEnroe, Bjorkman all obvious examples of players who found a second lease of life on the tennis circuit. Yes many single players will play their matches and tournaments over the years and either succeed and fade away or just barely hang around long enough to enjoy the higher echelons of the tour and tend fade into Seniors obscurity.

I look at players like Roddick, Safin, Ljubicic, Gonzalez who of lately retired quite early and experienced dramatic losses of form. Maybe just maybe if they had time to re-consider they may have been tempted by the life of doubles. That might bring them success that keeps the hunger and desire to play on and enjoy the game.

No time to comment - I'm off for a doubles match at the new indoor courts at Edgbaston Priory. I'm surprised they let riff-raff like me in, tbh.

Has it got a re-tractable roof

Well LK I feel the opposite, I love singles play and love to watch singles. I am greedy out on the court i want to hit every ball. And I like the fact that you have to rely only on your own focus, ability, and wits. But doubles is great as it allows players once they age to have an avenue to still play and compete. It is one of things that allows people into the 70s to play. At my club we recently hosted the 65 and 70 USTA championship. These guys can STILL PLAY! I mean to see 65 and 70 year olds still being able to play a physical sport, and mainly these guys all play doubles. So it wonderful in that players can continue to have an active participatory relationship with the sport till very late in life.

Believe it or not socal some of the players at my club are in their 60's and they can still hit a meaty FH!!

Yes Lk, it is timing after all not muscles. I still want to learn how to hit a proper old man drop shot. Have to work on my old man one two punch for my future career as an aged club hacker. The famous old man one two punch of drop shot and followed by the lob. Got to love hitting a winner and not getting the ball over 25 miles an hour.

Many years ago at my old club, dear old Mrs. Mac played mixed doubles well into her 80s. Not so quick round the court, but could hit some good shots when the ball came to her.

I'm sorry but club mixed is one of the great evils of this World. Not the matches where you get to chat up some really good looking girl in a sexy kit, but the one where you have to play alongside the club matrons who put anything hit over 30mph into the stratosphere.

True BB. You feel guilty when you play any shot to the lady.
On the other hand I played mixed a few weeks ago against the number 4 Under 12 girl in the country, and that was a different matter altogether. And the other rubber was against a 21 year girl who'd played for the Bulgarian national team. Give me a chance!

Playing with 21 year old Eastern European starlets?

I can't fully explain how high you are in my esteem right now.

You should have seen my forehand down her line!

JuliusHMarx wrote:You should have seen my forehand down her line!

Is that what they're calling it now?

some players are too embarrassed to drop down into doubles.

now i know he's not had success partnering his more talented brother in doubles but its time Murray got real and left singles for the real men.

Get Dolgo to go to doubles. He is useless on a singles court.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:some players are too embarrassed to drop down into doubles.

now i know he's not had success partnering his more talented brother in doubles but its time Murray got real and left singles for the real men.

Won't the singles tournaments be a bit short with only three participants? Who has to play twice? or would it be a round robin type thing? It's one way round the rain delays I suppose