Lost in the glamour of the singles matches at the recently ended French Open were some notable winners in the doubles and mixed doubles tennis events.
Canada’s own Daniel Nestor and partner Max Mirnyi claimed the men’s doubles title and the number one ranking, beating the Bryan twins Bob and Mike. The seventh-seeded pair of Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi from India captured the mixed doubles title.
Did you know that this is the eighth grand slam title for Nestor and the twelfth for Bhupathi?
It is unfortunate that doubles and mixed doubles tennis get very little coverage on television. The speed and the skills required in doubles tennis, compounded with the fact that you have the potential to get hit make this a challenging and exciting sport. As can be seen in the 2:16 point of the attached clip from the 2010 Australian Open., even pros like Nestor sometimes have trouble getting out of the way of a shot aimed squarely at the body.
That brings me to mixed doubles.
While the Professional Squash Association (PSA) and fans continue to drive the Squash 2020 campaign, mixed doubles tennis officially makes its return to the Summer Olympics this July, after an eighty-eight-year hiatus.
Decidedly one of the more popular versions of tennis at the club level, there is always the question of the right balance between being competitive and being social.
So, how far would you go to win a competitive mixed doubles match at your club? Should you attack your opponent across the net, every chance you get? Or, should you play fair and hit away?
Well! It depends on what’s at stake.
The Bryan twins seem to have rather strong views on the subject. “Don’t try to kill the woman, but take aim,” and “You’ve got to be ruthless,” sound rather extreme!
Now I know why I did not make it past club tournaments!