Two singles beats a pair.

[Django]

I kinda got off-track on another post, so thought it best to start a new thread w/ my digression.

Take nearly any two singles players in the Top 20, combine them as a team, and they would be very competitive w/ the Bryan Brothers and other top doubles teams. The ATP realizes this, and wants more top singles player to enter the doubles draws. When they don't, doubles specialists emerge to fill the void.

Evidence?
"Occasional" doubles teams like Blake/Fish beat doubles specialists often.
Two Chilean singles players won an Olympic gold medal in doubles.
I personally saw Ancic/Lubijic (two top singles players) beat the Bryans in Davis Cup.
Youhzny and whoever beat the Bryans at the US Open.

Don't get me wrong; I love to watch doubles. But in all those matches, the "singles" guys played non-traditional doubles, which is not fun to watch. They stay back, crack big passing shots, etc. But so much of today's game is big serves and big returns. And that's where the singles guys have a distinct advantage.

Once that first volley occurs, I agree, the Bryans are untouchable. But w/ so many points ending soon after a big serve or deep return, the "specialists" who are so adept at volleys, positioning, etc get beat.

 

[Lleytian3]

Really now?!? i really want to say Federer/nadal beat the bryans or even the 5th doubles team hanley n ullyett. lets say roddick and idk baghdatis beat knowles and nestor. no ways man, you can take federer and anyoe and the top 10 double teams in the world will beat them 8 out of 10 times. you provide good evidence though. but how many times did the bryans lose to non-double specialist like youhnzy and friedl i believe it was. less than 3 times this year. maybe less than 5 times alone in their career. you provide good evidence though, but their is a reason why top single players dont play doubles and its simple, they know they cant win

_____________________________
"winning isnt everything....it is the only thing"

"i HATE losing more than i LOVE winning"

 

[Jack Romeo]

their is a reason why top single players dont play doubles and its simple, they know they cant win

that's not it. there are many other reasons why top singles players play only singles and not doubles. among them:
1. they have to save themselves (in terms of physical conditioning) for singles
2. most of their practice and training is for singles
3. financial reasons (it makes more financial sense for a top 10 singles player to enter only singles even if he reaches only the round of 16 as compared to a doubles player who reaches the semis or final but still has to split the check with his partner)

 

[arosen]

Depends on who we are talking about. Myrni and Bjorkman are singles players that play dubs. They are pretty good at both. Safin absolutely sucks as a dubs player. Tursunoff is pretty good at dubs. So its not like you can just paint it in black and white, depends on a playah.

One thing is certain though. Brian brothers would be nobodys if tennis was played in singles format only. Mediocre singles players they are indeed.