*Another Cabalist weighs in. Tony Lance writes:
*The real eye-opener in the U.S. vs. Croatia tie wasn’t Andre Agassi’s or Andy Roddick’s loss to Ivan Ljubicic. It was the failure of the Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob, to beat Ljubicic and Mario Ancic in doubles.
On paper it shouldn’t have been even close. The Bryan twins, co-ranked No. 6 on the ATP doubles rankings, have won more than 20 doubles titles each and had never lost as much as a set in Davis Cup play. Ljubicic, on the other hand, who is No. 105 in the doubles ranking, has never won a doubles title on tour while Ancic, ranked No. 106 in doubles, has just one (they did, however, win Olympic bronze in Athens as a team). So, with the Bryan boys playing at home, the point seemed automatic. What happened?
Well, as much as I hate to point it out (I love to watch and play dubs), this loss puts the spotlight on a dirty little secret in men’s tennis. You know those guys who rule in the doubles competitions? They’re not necessarily the best doubles players. They’re just the best of the ones who play it regularly. It’s part of the increasing specialization of the men’s game.
As we saw this past Saturday, any of a number of men known primarily for their singles play—Ljubicic is No. 13 and Ancic is No. 20 in singles—can play doubles as well, if not better, than the men who make their living at it. That’s not to disparage the Bryan brothers or the Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestors of the world. Some of the most incredible shot-making I’ve ever seen has come off the racquets of doubles specialists.
Sure, I’ll still continue to watch and enjoy doubles. But now, because of the Bryan brothers’ loss I’ll be stuck with that unsettling feeling that I’m not seeing the two-on-two game played at the highest level. And I’ll then wonder how much better it might be if the likes of Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, and Tim Henman were to join in.