#SmashTalk: dream doubles team?

Published by tennismash

Roger Federer (R) and Rafael Nadal would make a doubles dream team; Getty Images
After Roger Federer said he’d love to play doubles with Rafael Nadal, it got us thinking – which players would you most love to see pair up?

Roger Federer’s comments at the Laver Cup launch, during which he said he’d love to team up with Rafael Nadal in doubles, were thrilling.

Could you imagine the two biggest superstars of the game joining forces? And who else would you love to see pair up in an all-star doubles combination?

We asked that question of our tennismash staffers Viv Christie (VC), Paul Moore (PM), Matt Trollope (MT) and Leigh Rogers (LR), plus got their thoughts on Juan Marin del Potro’s return and the state of the WTA.

Agree or disagree with the views presented? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

At the Laver Cup launch, Federer said he’d love to play doubles with Nadal. Which two players would you most love to see pair up on court?

VC: Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. It would be fascinating on a number of levels – firstly, can you imagine any combination with more competitive spirit between them? Secondly, and more intriguingly, what about the dynamic that exists between them? They’d potentially be more feisty with each other than they would be against their opponents.

PM: If I could pair any two players it would have to be Serena and Maria. Why? Well, partly because it would be great to see how they would behave together on court. But mainly because you know (and you really do) that at some point one of them would accidentally wallop a ball into the back of the other one’s head and then all hell would break loose. That I would pay to see.

MT: I think it’s hard to top that combination! But if I’m forced to think of another, I’d say Federer and Grigor Dimitrov. Master and apprentice. Fed and Baby Fed. All that. Plus both so stylish that it would be like seeing double. As for the women, I’d love to see Serena Williams and Martina Hingis combine. The world’s best singles and world’s best doubles player together? Yes please.

LR: There’s so many fun combinations I could name, but I’m going to answer this one seriously. I want to see Martina Hingis and Kristina Mladenovic, their combination of touch and power could make them a formidable team. Whether their personalities would gel is another question, but with both not scared of speaking their mind, imagine how entertaining their press conferences would be!

Delpo is making his first appearance in 2017 at Delray Beach this week. How do you think he will he fare this season?

VC: Several months ago, I’d have confidently said Delpo was top-10 bound in 2017. Now I’m proceeding with the same caution as the man himself, given his delayed season start to protect against injury. Seems wiser (and fairer) to hope more for exciting del Potro runs – like the one he achieved in defeating Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as a silver-medalist at the Rio Olympics – than consistent progress. Considering all the physical challenges he’s faced, that alone is arguably exceeding expectations.

PM: This one is a bit of a head v heart situation. The head says that Delpo is going to have a solid year, perhaps win a trophy or two and end up somewhere around the Top 15. The heart says Delpo is back. He’s going to win a Slam (US Open), nab a couple of Masters 1000 titles (Miami and Cincinnati) and finish the year in the Top 5.

MT: First of all, welcome back Delpo! It’s always great to have the Argentine in the mix. However I think he will fare similarly to last year – he’ll be dangerous and bob up with several great results, but with his health always on a knife-edge, I feel this will curtail both his schedule and his consistency. But I think a top-20 return is most definitely achievable, as is a deep run at a slam or two.

LR: Delpo thrived competing with no expectations last season, a luxury he won’t be afforded in 2017. However he has the maturity to handle this – and his decision to delay his season start shows a smart approach. A return to the top 20 looks imminent, and the potential to go even higher is definitely there. A top 10 seed for the US Open is certainly not out of the question.

Missing five of the world’s top 10 before the tournament even began, the carnage continues in Dubai with three of the top five seeds already gone. What is going on with the women right now?

VC: Players like Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Aga Radwanska and Caroline Wozniacki clearly have the ability – but not quite the mentality – to dominate. Could their failure to do so consistently come back to the near-impenetrable rule that Serena Williams has held over the WTA for so many years? Granted, she’s not in Dubai this week but having monopolised Grand Slams and other big events, it’s possible that Serena simply hasn’t allowed those names to develop a true confidence?

PM: Anyone else have a feeling of déjà vu about this topic? The WTA is on a sticky wicket as the players simply don’t want to be there (same story with the Asian swing in September). What could well end up happening is that the tournament owners simply shut the WTA event down (Dubai, for instance, has a well attended and very popular ATP event next week). Until the players realise that they are hurting themselves – and their sport – I don’t believe they have will change their ways.

MT: The ongoing issues with the WTA – for some reason always magnified in Dubai – continue to depress me. The world’s best women forever seem unable to sort out their health. The week-to-week inconsistency is maddening. Commitment to the tour – Dubai is a prestigious Premier 5 event – remains questionable. And in a case of Groundhog Day, the themes of this discussion were exactly the same 12 months ago. With so many stars currently sidelined and the remaining ones – aside from Serena and perhaps Pliskova – performing so poorly, the field has rarely been weaker. As a women’s tennis fan, I sincerely hope this swings around quickly.

LR: I can tell you what is not going on – consistency. In nine tournaments so far this year we’ve seen a top seed win once (Svitolina in Taiwan). There has been four first-time champions (Davis, Siniakova, Mertens and Mladenovic) and one qualifier win a title (Mertens). While frustrating for fans of the misfiring top players, it’s certainly adding a bit of variety to women’s tennis.

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