ATP Tennis/Non-India Davis Cup

[Rajiv]

Few more pairings , to the above list Bob Hewitt / Frew McMillan , Brian Gotterfried / Raul Ramirez , Frew McNair/Sherwood Stewart.

[rajitghosh]

Frank Sedgeman/ Lew Hoad, Pietranegli/ Sirola

[S_K_S]

Can't say I know much about the above pairings at all. Will have to look up their history.

[prasen9]

Seems like Nadal and Djokovic are in doldrums. If that is the case, it may be a good idea for Federer to play the French Open if he believes he will not be hampered at Wimbledon. He should be an overwhelming favorite for Wimbledon. The question is exactly how much rest his body needs and how much fatigue-related degradation he can tolerate and yet win at Wimbledon. Even if Nadal returns from his injury, he may not be in full form. And, Djokovic is somehow off-kilter and perhaps cannot regain things by the French anyway. So, the competition is Thiem and the babies. The other oldies are Ferrer and Del Potro. Wawrinka, always an enigma. Zverev if he figures out things. If I were Federer and I was feeling healthy, I would play the French this year. Last year, the right thing was not to play. Not so this year. Good luck to old guy. Good luck to the pretenders. May the best player win.

[Prashant]

Any list of great memorable doubles pairs must include Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh, winners of a career GS, and incredible to watch at their peak.

[S_K_S]

Definitely a vacuum when Borna Coric makes it to the semi final of a 1000.

[jai_in_canada]

Definitely a vacuum when Borna Coric makes it to the semi final of a 1000.

Yup! Although, to Coric's credit he has beaten some good opponents who have been in excellent form recently (Anderson, Fritz, Bautista-Augut, Ramos-Vinolas) to get to the semis. I think he's playing well and the courts suit his game.

Nevertheless, as was written on the Tennis.com site, "Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, and Wawrinka are in physical disarray" and Nishikori is still in come back mode from his own physical issues. So the Big 5 are down to the Big 1.

To me it's even more telling that Raonic has made it to the semis after struggling mightily in his own comeback from physical issues.

[jai_in_canada]

Frank Sedgeman/ Lew Hoad, Pietranegli/ Sirola

How about Bryan-Bryan? Or is it too early to consider them GOATs?

[rajitghosh]

Frank Sedgeman/ Lew Hoad, Pietranegli/ Sirola

How about Bryan-Bryan? Or is it too early to consider them GOATs?

Yes definitely and also Luke and Murphy Jens en with their weird games. One of them could serve with both hands.

[PKBasu]

I'm surprised at the mention of Sedgeman-Hoad as a pairing, leave alone a great pairing. Lew Hoad's most famous doubles partnership was with Ken Rosewall: they were great friends and rivals, and won numerous doubles Slam titles together.
Sedgeman formed a great doubles partnership with Ken McGregor, and they won a calendar-year Grand Slam in 1951, and won 3 of the 4 Slams the following year. So Sedgeman-McGregor could be considered one of the greatest-ever pairings, as would Rosewall-Hoad (who succeeded them after Sedgeman had turned professional).

[PKBasu]

And yes, the gap between a fit Federer and the rest of the world of men's tennis seems vast at the moment. Federer is again the king of all he surveys, although he has just retained the #1 ranking by making the SF at Indian Wells: had he lost sooner, he would have relinquished the #1 ranking to Nadal.

I think it will make a lot of sense for Federer to play the French Open this year. He will play a light schedule during the clay season, but turn up for the French. He would be a heavy favourite to win it, unless Nadal can get fit -- but I'm sure Nadal is determined to be fit and rarin' to go once the clay season comes around.

[S_K_S]

I'll take back that comment about Coric. What a titantic struggle against Fed giving Fed probably his toughest match of the year. Fed's backhand got pummeled and it was proved to be not the strength all the commentators make it out to be. Coric will have nightmares about the backhand down the line at game point at 4-3 in the final set.

[prasen9]

What Nadal wants and what his body does are different things. The Fed will be going to be one of the favorites if he decides to play the French.

[rajitghosh]

I'm surprised at the mention of Sedgeman-Hoad as a pairing, leave alone a great pairing. Lew Hoad's most famous doubles partnership was with Ken Rosewall: they were great friends and rivals, and won numerous doubles Slam titles together.
Sedgeman formed a great doubles partnership with Ken McGregor, and they won a calendar-year Grand Slam in 1951, and won 3 of the 4 Slams the following year. So Sedgeman-McGregor could be considered one of the greatest-ever pairings, as would Rosewall-Hoad (who succeeded them after Sedgeman had turned professional).

My bad. It should have been Road and Hosewall as the commentators used to say.

[Varma]

...and also Luke and Murphy Jens en with their weird games. One of them could serve with both hands.

You consider Jensens to be one of the all time great pairs? Are you serious? They barely played for a handful of years and all they won was a lone French Open title in 1993. The brothers were more famous for their flamboyancy than their Tennis. I wouldn't put them in the same league as the rest of the teams mentioned in this discussion.

- Varma