Miami today

Andy Murray has just taken 1st set vs Alejandro Falla (he who gave TMF a very big scare opening match of W 2010!), and is up a break in the second. Melzer has won the first set against Haase and Gilles Simon leads Roberto Bautista-Agul by 1 set to love.

I was going to try and to a proper MOTD thread but there are so many WTA matches that I lost the will to live half way through jotting everything down.
Davydenko kicks off today against Isner, Nadal plays the evening match against Giraldo.

Also squaring off are: Nalby vs Tipsarevic, Berdych vs Mahut, Tsonga vs Malisse and Stepanek v Haas

Rubbish write up - should we try and headhunt potiella from the other place?

Murray 4-2 in second - obviously means business and moving efficiently through this 2nd round match

We don't need PC potiella. LF's way better

May the force be with her

A little bit of trivia for any anoraks this sunny Friday .....

Who can name the only active male player to have been ranked inside the Top Ten for both singles and doubles, and simultaneously.

Shouldn't be very tricky since he's featuring in Miami this week, hence why I've used this particular thread (don't think it merits a whole new one .....!)

Mirny?

No. (I guess you mean Max MIRNYI... but no, not him anyway....)

lags72 wrote:A little bit of trivia for any anoraks this sunny Friday .....

Who can name the only active male player to have been ranked inside the Top Ten for both singles and doubles, and simultaneously.

Shouldn't be very tricky since he's featuring in Miami this week, hence why I've used this particular thread (don't think it merits a whole new one .....!)

Isner, now (after IW).

laverfan wrote:

lags72 wrote:A little bit of trivia for any anoraks this sunny Friday .....

Who can name the only active male player to have been ranked inside the Top Ten for both singles and doubles, and simultaneously.

Shouldn't be very tricky since he's featuring in Miami this week, hence why I've used this particular thread (don't think it merits a whole new one .....!)

Isner, now (after IW).

The other one would be Melzer (with Petzschner).

And not big Isner either

(there was me thinking you'd be the first to crack it laverfan ... )

Isner was in both the singles and doubles finals last week in Miami. Lost the singles to Federer and the doubles to Nadal... It's a tough life...

I know Nadal has won both the singles and been in the winning doubles team of a masters event. Has any other active player done this?

Ah ..... you got it with your follow-up LF !

Melzer it is !

I'm pretty certain Melzer can claim this particular badge as unique to himself ....

ps I was asking about ATP rankings - not performances/titles in any particular tourney, Miami or otherwise

I thought it might be Nadal for a moment as he's a keen doubles player, albeit doesnt do it for extended periods. His highest doubles ranking was #26...funnily enough back in mid-2005!

HE ....... not sure about your particular conundrum but here's one of my own in similar vein

A player achieved something very special (though not unique) at one of the 1996 Slams that has not been matched since.

Any ideas ....??

(clue : no longer active)

Krajicek at W or USO (Most Aces)?

All I can think is that 2 people won a grand slam for the first time from their country....Kafelnikov for Russia, Krajicek for Holland.

Llodra

lydian - yes, Nadal is certainly a keen doubles player, with eight titles to his name. Was very surprised to find that Federer (whose interest in doubles seems only fleeting) also has eight titles, including of course his most precious.... Olympics, with Stan the Man.

I never cease to be amazed at just how Johnny Mac managed to amasss so many singles AND doubles trophies. It was a different world back then in so many ways ; but very, very impressive all the same ......

Is it that Krajicek was unseeded for Wimbledon 1996. He took Muster's place in the draw when the latter withdrew with injury?

lydian - you're definitely right on Kafelnikov and I've no reason to dispute re Krajicek either - ie as regards those two achievements

But that's still not quite what my question was about. I'm surprised that you got so close - given that the never-been-done-since feat which I had in mind actually involves one of the guys you've already mentioned !

tp - no, not that

Next clue : It's very much in the category of an impressive achievement rather than a quirky incident

lags72 wrote:tp - no, not that

Next clue : It's very much in the category of an impressive achievement rather than a quirky incident

Gonzo?

Kafelnikov is the last man to win the singles and the doubles titles at the same slam - French Open 1996?

I know Krajicek at W 1996 had never been past the fourth round in prior Ws and had lost in R1 a couple of times, IIRC.

Not that either, lf

Beginning to feel quite pleased with this one, not easy to stump you guys !

(it's definitely nothing weird / trivial, I assure you ......)

time please - somehow posted my last post without checking your answer re Kafelnikov....

Spot on !

Thank you wikipedia!!!

tp - well spotted all the same

I happened to chance upon it whilst reading a tennis feature somewhere or other recently ; but I'd be lying if I said I was not a frequent user of the same resource to which you refer ....!!

Cool, well done TP

As trivia of my own, I still play with the racquets Kafelnikov used, i.e. "Fischer Vacuum Pro 98's". I also use Volkl ProClassic 10's.
A very frustrating player at times was Yevgeny...I actually think at 2 slams he underachieved. He went for the quantity of tennis approach. His coach's motto was "through quantity comes quality" but it meant Kafelnikov was often jaded. If you look at the top 10 earners of all time in tennis Kafelnikov is in there and yet that surprises most people. He won a fair number of titles. But always seemed to dip when it came to slams. For me was one of the best volleyers in the 90s (his doubles form was tremendous) and had probably one of the best BHs of that decade too.

http://www.tennisphilia.com/p/men-tennis-career-prize-money-leaders.html

interesting list there lydian .....

True ........ not many folk would have imagined Kafelnikov to be quite so high up the the earnings league

The other surprise for me was Jonas Bjorkman. I always thought of his career as one of consistency and longevity, rather than anything spectacular. Guess that's what brought in all those dollars over the years , and so perhaps not too much of a surprise .......

Ah crap I have missed todays action!

lags72 wrote:lydian - yes, Nadal is certainly a keen doubles player, with eight titles to his name. Was very surprised to find that Federer (whose interest in doubles seems only fleeting) also has eight titles, including of course his most precious.... Olympics, with Stan the Man.

I never cease to be amazed at just how Johnny Mac managed to amasss so many singles AND doubles trophies. It was a different world back then in so many ways ; but very, very impressive all the same ......

John McEnroe and doubles? He was just lucky. Whats that famous quote about the best doubles parnership in history? Peter Flemming and anybody...

Peter Fleming - I forgot about him on that 'desirable list' the other day - there is something about his 'so chilled I'm horizontal' demeanour and that quizzical eyebrow

......anyway, I digress

hawkeye wrote:

lags72 wrote:lydian - yes, Nadal is certainly a keen doubles player, with eight titles to his name. Was very surprised to find that Federer (whose interest in doubles seems only fleeting) also has eight titles, including of course his most precious.... Olympics, with Stan the Man.

I never cease to be amazed at just how Johnny Mac managed to amasss so many singles AND doubles trophies. It was a different world back then in so many ways ; but very, very impressive all the same ......

John McEnroe and doubles? He was just lucky. Whats that famous quote about the best doubles parnership in history? Peter Flemming and anybody...

Well, I recognised that quote HE - but with a rather different second part from the one you've given.

You had me reaching to my bookshelf for McEnroe's autobiography 'Serious' where he gives his assessment on the legendary partnership. Puts things in a rather different light.

I'm quoting Mac verbatim below .....

"As gifted a singles player as Peter (Fleming) was - and he made it as high as number eight in the world in 1980 - he always acknowledged my achievements in an especially generous way. Envy just didn't seem to be part of his makeup. We were a great doubles team because of our respective (and complimentary) talents and that indefinable closeness of spirit. However, Peter has one famous quote that, in a way, will always haunt him. When somebody asked him who the greatest doubles team in history was, he said 'John McEnroe and anyone' "

In the book Mac goes on to explain the context of the remark, which he says is important. Fleming was feeling particularly low after winning a DC tie with Mac but having given what he (Fleming) felt was a poor contribution. Hence this from Mac a little later in the same chapter:

"The second he gave that answer I turned to him and said 'What are you saying? That's not true' And I meant it from the bottom of my heart - I really was shocked at how wrong that was"



Fleming & McEnroe ........ Lennon & McCartney ........

Make of them what you will ..........

The partnership to remember for me are, not in any specific order,

Frank Sedgman + Ken McGregor
Rosewall + Laver
Tiriac + Nastase
The Woodys
The Bryans
Navaratilova + Shriver
Eltingh + Haarhuis
Hingis + Novotna
Clement + Llodra
Verdasco + Lopez
Nestor + Zimonjic
Gottfried + Ramirez
Bhupathi + Paes
Michibata + Connell (Canadian team - wonder if anyone has heard of them).

I have heard of The Four Musketeers (Lacoste, Borotra, Brungon and Cochet) being being very good.

It is rather that doubles is show-cased only when celebrity Singles players take up doubles on the current ATP/WTA tour.

Amritraj Brothers-Anand and Vijay, did very well in doubles a few decades ago. I think they were seeded at Wimbledon, at least once, if my memory serves me correctly.

Manojchandra wrote:Amritraj Brothers-Anand and Vijay, did very well in doubles a few decades ago. I think they were seeded at Wimbledon, at least once, if my memory serves me correctly.

I forgot about these two . At one point there was also a talk about A-B-C (Amritraj - Vijay, Borg, Connors).

What a shock that is Murray beating Falla.

Biggest win of the Scot's career!

Josiah Maiestas wrote:What a shock that is Murray beating Falla.

Biggest win of the Scot's career!

It is at least one better than losing to GGL in R2. Now he can target winning Miami 2012.

LF,
since you are a mod, can you please merge all this therads type "match of the day" all in one, the forum loos a bit untidy.

Sputnik has made an effort to have matches there etc, so looks legit.

I will try.

laverfan wrote:I will try.

Thanks

lags72 wrote:

hawkeye wrote:

lags72 wrote:lydian - yes, Nadal is certainly a keen doubles player, with eight titles to his name. Was very surprised to find that Federer (whose interest in doubles seems only fleeting) also has eight titles, including of course his most precious.... Olympics, with Stan the Man.

I never cease to be amazed at just how Johnny Mac managed to amasss so many singles AND doubles trophies. It was a different world back then in so many ways ; but very, very impressive all the same ......

John McEnroe and doubles? He was just lucky. Whats that famous quote about the best doubles parnership in history? Peter Flemming and anybody...

Well, I recognised that quote HE - but with a rather different second part from the one you've given.

You had me reaching to my bookshelf for McEnroe's autobiography 'Serious' where he gives his assessment on the legendary partnership. Puts things in a rather different light.

I'm quoting Mac verbatim below .....

"As gifted a singles player as Peter (Fleming) was - and he made it as high as number eight in the world in 1980 - he always acknowledged my achievements in an especially generous way. Envy just didn't seem to be part of his makeup. We were a great doubles team because of our respective (and complimentary) talents and that indefinable closeness of spirit. However, Peter has one famous quote that, in a way, will always haunt him. When somebody asked him who the greatest doubles team in history was, he said 'John McEnroe and anyone' "

In the book Mac goes on to explain the context of the remark, which he says is important. Fleming was feeling particularly low after winning a DC tie with Mac but having given what he (Fleming) felt was a poor contribution. Hence this from Mac a little later in the same chapter:

"The second he gave that answer I turned to him and said 'What are you saying? That's not true' And I meant it from the bottom of my heart - I really was shocked at how wrong that was"



Fleming & McEnroe ........ Lennon & McCartney ........

Make of them what you will ..........

That was intereseting background to that quote. I have noticed that Flemming in commentary is still remarkably generous when talking about McEnroe...

noleisthebest wrote:

laverfan wrote:I will try.

Thanks

Is it all right to leave this thread as is and use this one for today's matches - https://www.606v2.com/t26533-miami-masters-saturday-atp-matches-of-the-day