Posts Tagged ‘Doubles’

USA earns a 2012 Olympic best three gold medals and four total medals in tennis.

MENS SINGLES
Gold – Andy Murray, Great Britain
Silver – Roger Federer, Switzerland
Bronze – Juan Martin el Potro, Argentina

WOMENS SINGLES
Gold – Serena Williams, USA
Silver – Maria Sharapova, Russia
Bronze – Victoria Azarenka, Belarus

MENS DOUBLES
Gold – Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, USA
Silver – Michael Llodra/Jo-Wilfried Tsong, France
Bronze – Julien Benneteau/Richard Gasquet, France

WOMENS DOUBLES
Gold – Serena Williams/Venus Williams, USA
Silver – Andrea Hlavachova/Lucie Hradecka, CZE
Bronze – Maria Kilienko/Nadia Petrova, Russia

MIXED DOUBLES
Gold – Victoria Azarenka/Max Mirnyl, Belarus
Silver – L. Robson/A. Murray, Great Britain
Bronze – Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan, USA

Serena Williams and Andy Roddick may be playing mixed doubles together in the Olympics. Mixed doubles is something that tennis as a whole doesn’t take advantage of in the way it should. Mixed is unique, no other pro sport can have competitive mixed competition at the highest level. If Williams and Roddick can get a lot of TV time during the Olympics, it could be a huge boost for tennis in the USA.

Lisa Raymond of the USA is making a strong run at the 2012 Australian Open Tennis Tournament in both women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Here are some awesome doubles highlights.

All four of these roles are crucial to doubles success.

Server
• Get a high percentage of first serves in to your opponents weakness.
• Communicate with your partner between points and let him know about your serving thoughts during the game.
• Move into position after a successful serve and look to join your partner at the net.

Server’s Partner
• The server gets the ball in play, and it’s your job to win the game.
• Put pressure on the returner by moving and taking away the return he’d like to hit.
• Be aggressive and move to keep the returner guessing on where he’ll have a lane to hit to.
• Take advantage of the fact that you get to start at the net, where everyone wants to end up. This means you should have the first “put away ball” of the point. End the point!
• Take care of the server. You are in charge of knowing where the balls are and making sure your partner can focus only on serving.
• Stay positive and keep the server up!

Returner
• First and foremost GET THE RETURN IN PLAY!
• After a successful return move into position to take the court advantage.

Returner’s Partner
• Call out serves for your partner so he can focus on returning.
• Be in charge of the court. Call a let when you see a ball interfering, clean up balls in the net, again making sure your partner can focus on the return.
• Look for a ball you can poach, or move forward on after a successful return by your partner.
• Stay light on your feet and be ready to quickly defend against a poor return by your partner.

Bob and Mike Bryan just won another Wimbledon!

They’ve now won:
2 Wimbledon’s
5 Australian Open’s
1 French Open
3 US Open’s

For a grand total of 11 Slams!

I haven’t seen ANY doubles during the French Open. Why not have at least an hour a day of doubles during all Grand Slams on the tennis channel? I love me some doubles!!!

I just don’t get why Bob and Mike Bryan aren’t pumped more? Here’s a few things they have going for them:

• Best doubles team of all time.
• No American singles players left in the French Open draw.
• Identical twins.
• Engaging personalities.
• Great spokesmen for doubles, which is great for the sport of tennis as doubles is key to growing the sport.

I just don’t get it!

I’ve said it before, the Bryan Brothers need more attention. To me, they are one of the best stories in all of sports.

Serving – Pete Sampras and John Isner
Returning – Andre Agassi and Roger Federer
Volleys – Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
In-game play (AKA actually playing doubles points) - The Bryan Brothers
Communication – The Bryan Brothers
Intimidation – The Williams Sisters