Week 39 - ATP World Tour 250 - Kuala Lumpur

daisy · County player

RE: Week 39 - ATP World Tour 250 - Kuala Lumpur

Spectator · All-time great

As a strategy, it's not a bad one. Playing doubles clearly makes more economic sense given the level at which he's succeeding in doubles. But if a doubles player could earn twelve points a tournament at ten tournaments a year (say ... and yes, I know that's probably unlikely), that would give enough points to enter the top 300 ... even if said player never were to win a first round singles match.

indiana · Tennis legend

Oh, its tough further down the foodchain, singles or doubles, just read how tough it is for say Andrew Fitzpatrick. What more can be done or how many players should realistically be expecting to make a decent living from the sport are discussions that come up from time to time.

As for doubles specifically, there must be very few players that set out to have a professional doubles career. Doubles invariably is where they end up when they decide they are not going to be good enough as singles players and have reasonable doubles talent. They make that choice with the current singles / doubles prizemoney ratio,

Do we want the ratio significantly improved towards doubles as against how it is now, encouraging more players to give up a singles career and concentrate on doubles ? Not for me.

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 22nd of September 2012 07:08:37 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Well, I guess we'll also have to disagree on the invariability of why people choose doubles. I think that there are some who just realise that they're better at doubles (which at its best requires somewhat different skills from singles) and so opt to go that route even though the rewards aren't as high. That's not to say they're failures in singles -- just that they're better at one than the other. I think there are also some who have (like Mirnyi) been first-rate singles AND doubles players and realise that the skills required for doubles are ones that are easier to maintain over the long haul than the skills required for singles ... and so shift their focus in order to keep playing. But I don't think that doubles is simply full of singles players manqués.

Would I be happy to see people do what they're best at, whatever that might be? Yes. But then, as will be clear from my posts, I really enjoy watching doubles ... something I'm aware isn't a universally shared position.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 22nd of September 2012 07:11:57 PM

Shhh · Challenger level

Spectator wrote:
As a strategy, it's not a bad one. Playing doubles clearly makes more economic sense given the level at which he's succeeding in doubles. But if a doubles player could earn twelve points a tournament at ten tournaments a year (say ... and yes, I know that's probably unlikely), that would give enough points to enter the top 300 ... even if said player never were to win a first round singles match.

I am sure the main reason is for match practise but, should a player make the 1st round, the prize money is over $8,700, thats more than an individual receives for making the semis in doubles.

Spectator · All-time great

Interestingly, three of the eight in the FQR were on the same team (I think) at the University of Virginia. If Inglot, Huey and Singh all make it through, could be quite a celebration!

RJA · Hall of fame

Doubles draw

R1: Colin Fleming / Ross Hutchins WR 69 v Alejandro Falla / Igor Sijsling (COL/NED) WR 736
R1: Dominic Inglot / Treat Conrad Huey (THA) WR 86 v Michael Kohlmann / Frank Moser (GER/GER) WR 149

gjr · Club Coach

The doubles discussion is an interesting one.

Just a question that popped into my head as I was reading this thread. If the ratio of prize money was changed to be let's say 1:3 wouldn't that encourage more singles players higher up the rankings to give it a go? What I mean is if it was easier making a career as a doubles player than say top 100-150 singles player, more players would tend to move in the direction of doubles?

SMC1809 · All-time great

Dom's match underway. 1-1.

Jeff Stelling · Club Coach

Dom breaks and saves a BP to move 5-2 up.

Jeff Stelling · Club Coach

6-2 4-1 up now

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Brilliant !

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

BBD won 6-2 6-2.

indiana · Tennis legend

gjr wrote:
The doubles discussion is an interesting one.

Just a question that popped into my head as I was reading this thread. If the ratio of prize money was changed to be let's say 1:3 wouldn't that encourage more singles players higher up the rankings to give it a go? What I mean is if it was easier making a career as a doubles player than say top 100-150 singles player, more players would tend to move in the direction of doubles?

Logically, I would say yes. To what extent who knows. My question would be would that be good thing ?

jmjhb · Lower Club Player

Bogomolov was playing in Brazil only yesterday. Bizarre scheduling to say the least.

-- Edited by jmjhb on Sunday 23rd of September 2012 08:47:18 PM