"Why are we even playing doubles?"

[GameSetAndMath]

I did not mean that every singles player will be good enough to beat top doubles
player in doubles. I meant there are enough top singles players who will be good enough
to beat top doubles players.

example: Fed and Wawrinka getting Olympic gold medal with minimal practice
in doubles and also with minimal practice playing as a pair. Also recall that along
the way they beat Bryan Brothers and Indian Express (Bhupathi and Peas).

The point I was trying to make is that current top doubles pair (made of
doubles specialists) will no longer be top doubles pair if singles player also
play in doubles.

Yes but that was one tournament. I think Roger has had plenty of doubles losses in Davis Cup and MS events and he would figure to be the top singles player most likely to succeed in doubles right away.

However, both Bryan brothers and Indian Express cared to win their matches in 2008 olympics.
But, they could not as Roger and co also wanted to win it.

While Fed has losses in doubles, most of the time it may be due to the fact they are
not committed to winning it and are doing it just for fun and/or practice. If they commit to
it and put their body and mind to the task, the double specialists will not stand much of a
chance.

 

[Fiero425]

I did not mean that every singles player will be good enough to beat top doubles
player in doubles. I meant there are enough top singles players who will be good enough
to beat top doubles players.

example: Fed and Wawrinka getting Olympic gold medal with minimal practice
in doubles and also with minimal practice playing as a pair. Also recall that along
the way they beat Bryan Brothers and Indian Express (Bhupathi and Peas).

The point I was trying to make is that current top doubles pair (made of
doubles specialists) will no longer be top doubles pair if singles player also
play in doubles.

Yes but that was one tournament. I think Roger has had plenty of doubles losses in Davis Cup and MS events and he would figure to be the top singles player most likely to succeed in doubles right away.

However, both Bryan brothers and Indian Express cared to win their matches in 2008 olympics.
But, they could not as Roger and co also wanted to win it.

While Fed has losses in doubles, most of the time it may be due to the fact they are
not committed to winning it and are doing it just for fun and/or practice. If they commit to
it and put their body and mind to the task, the double specialists will not stand much of a
chance.

ITA - I actually remember hearing Borg and Vilas played doubles together in '74 and won titles while under contract with the WCT! Of course you never saw any of those matches, but I had about 4 reference mags sent to me monthly to keep up with all the news and gossip behind the scenes of the tour back in the mid 70's! After all the hubbub about suing him back in '75, Connors latched onto Arthur Ashe at a summer clay event in the States; maybe '77! Records show Connors and Nastase were a good match as well! Raul Ramirez was #1 in singles and doubles for about a minute; played with Brian Gottfried! In my day the top teams were doubles' specialist like Hewitt/McMillan from South Africa and Stewart/McNair of the US! I caught the tail end of Smith/Lutz and Newcombe/Roche! I'm shocking myself I remember all these people without looking them up! :clap :angel:

 

[DarthFed]

I did not mean that every singles player will be good enough to beat top doubles
player in doubles. I meant there are enough top singles players who will be good enough
to beat top doubles players.

example: Fed and Wawrinka getting Olympic gold medal with minimal practice
in doubles and also with minimal practice playing as a pair. Also recall that along
the way they beat Bryan Brothers and Indian Express (Bhupathi and Peas).

The point I was trying to make is that current top doubles pair (made of
doubles specialists) will no longer be top doubles pair if singles player also
play in doubles.

Yes but that was one tournament. I think Roger has had plenty of doubles losses in Davis Cup and MS events and he would figure to be the top singles player most likely to succeed in doubles right away.

However, both Bryan brothers and Indian Express cared to win their matches in 2008 olympics.
But, they could not as Roger and co also wanted to win it.

While Fed has losses in doubles, most of the time it may be due to the fact they are
not committed to winning it and are doing it just for fun and/or practice. If they commit to
it and put their body and mind to the task, the double specialists will not stand much of a
chance.

I'm sure they also wanted to win the doubles gold in 2012 and numerous doubles matches they've lost in Davis Cup.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I don't think Roger players doubles in 2012 Olympics.

 

[DarthFed]

I don't think Roger players doubles in 2012 Olympics.

Yea they played again, and lost in the QF's at latest.

EDIT: It was even worse, they lost in the 2nd round.

 

[herios]

My belief is that if the top guys actually had time to practice doubles seriously, and place emphasis on it, you wouldn't see the so-called "doubles specialists" do as well.

Definitely agree with this. Last doubles match I watched and enjoyed was when Frederik Nielsen and Jonathan Marray won the Wimbledon doubles against Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecău in 2012 and the preceding match where they beat the Bryans. Quite an achievement considering they got in as wildcards and won the title. Besides that I haven't been interested in doubles for years.

Aside from doubles being played only by the guys who are pretty much no good at singles there comes the practically aspect these days: the game has become so physical in singles that no singles player who consistently plays both singles and doubles will be able to go deep in tournaments all year long. They'll simply burn out and become either too physically drained or get injured, with injuries mostly coming at times when you're most fatigued and push yourself too much.

The physicality of singles essentially killed modern day doubles and left it to guys who mostly play nothing but doubles. If Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray all frequently played doubles they wouldn't have anywhere near the number of slams they currently do.

I noticed something watching the YEC, with Verdasco/Marrero, who eventually won. This is a bit anecdotal, but Verdasco (who was as high as #7 as a singles player,) really shone. He has played a fair amount of doubles, but Granollers/Lopez was the higher ranked Spanish doubles team, for example, and Verdasco/Marrero beat the Bryans in the final. It did seem that the guy who had been the best in singles, of all of them, played better than even the more tried-and-true doubles teams, with a solid doubles partner, (that most of us had never even heard of.)

I was very pleasantly surprised by what Fernando and David Marrero achieved in London, because they just sneaked in the top 8 at the very last minute. Probably it was as a big of a shock for them as well.
And I have not seen their matches until the final and I was very proud of him how he managed his nerves as I cannot remember LOL
You are right, his FH winner got their mini break and also he needed to serve out the tie-breaker and he managed that without DF as usual. He looked like his confidence was at a different level,better than when he plays singles.
There are currently 4 top 50 players right now ranked in the top 12 in doubles:
7.Dodig
8 Verdasco
9. Stepanek
...
12 Granollers

If you combine their single and double ranking at the end of 2013. Fernando Verdasco has the best ranking combo (signles + doubles) 30 + 8 = 38, followed by Ivan Dodig 7 + 33 = 40.
I hope obviously that Fernando persists and wins himself a GS with Marrero.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It does not quite belong in this thread, but I did not want to start a new thread for
this one.

Daniel Nestor and Nenand Zimonjic are reuniting in doubles. During their times
together before they are the team that gave tough fight to Bryan Brothers. One year
they even managed to finish year end no. 1 ahead of BB.

I am looking forward to this team. However, Nestor is now over 40 and Nenad
is not too far behind. SO, their stamina might be an issue.