Top Tennis Players Whom We Would Love To See Play Doubles

We have rivalries, where often the battle is neck-to-neck and makes us drop everything what we do to watch them in action. But have we ever wondered what if these rivals paired in the doubles? What would happen? Will they be as invincible as in the singles?

There have been instances of tennis rivals grouping in the doubles and turning into twice the formidable foe. For instance, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and now more recently, the Williams Sisters.

So thinking on the above lines, I made a list of 20 players, 10 pairs; both past as well as present, whom I feel would be a sight to see in the doubles and the same is presented as follows.

1. Roger Federer /Rafael Nadal: Theirs is a rivalry that has practically become these days a much one-sided affair. But whereas Federer is almost an all round player playing equally well in almost every surface, Nadal does have a slight glitch in the hard courts.

So if these two were to join hands, Federer would be able to win a slam at Roland Garros and Nadal would be able to repeat the feat at the Oz and US Open. Moreover, it would also put the other players into perspective. What say, guys?

2. Maria Sharapova/Dinara Safina: They do not have any rivalry developing between them, but the main reason I felt they could do well as a doubles team is the factor of consistency. Both are consistent, good movers on the court being so tall and all and extremely excellent timers of the ball.

Also, another factor that I took into account was Safina being good on the red clay and so she could help Sharapova win one for the team, if they decide to become one. After all, clay is the only place Sharapova has shown some vulnerability.

3. Andy Roddick/Novak Djokovic: Djokovic could take advantage of this partnership by trying to break some ice with the Americans. Apart from that he could learn how to give aces from a person who has the world record of serving aces to his credit.

From his side, Djokovic can teach Roddick about rallying and not relying too much on his serve. He can also teach him some Serbian customs as well. Finally, as a result of this partnership they would possibly end up being the best of friends.

4. Andy Roddick/David Nalbandian: Nalbandian has talent and loads of it although somehow he has failed to convert it big. This is where Roddick comes in. They play doubles, Roddick with the expertise of winning slams plus being a World No. 1.

Nalbandian to finish up matters by tying all loose ends. Nalby is again a thorough player who can match rally for rally, point for point. So where Roddick misses, Nalby can secure and vice versa. After all one needs a perfect balance of yin and yang.

5. Andy Murray/Nikolay Davydenko: Murray can stay at the baseline leaving Davydenko to come and finish matters at the net. Murray tends to lose concentration at times while Davydenko is focused to the point of giving headaches.

There would be good team work and since Davydenko has a healthy statistics against Murray, he can point him his drawbacks. (Although I think Miles Maclagen is being paid for doing just that.)

6. Pete Sampras/Andre Agassi: Two of the best players of their time. If they would have just joined hands, it would have been colossal. Sampras could have won his clay title, Agassi more slams to his kitty. But I guess one can't get everything in life.

7. Steffi Graf/Monica Seles: Like Evert and Navratilova they should have tried doing this. It would have probably solved matters between them and if they would have been a team, it would have stood the test of fire after Monica's injury. What to say about the games, they would have ruled it: Together!

8. Kim Clijsters/Justine Henin:Two Belgians facing it off. It was nice to see them as rivals though not much. Both had their own aura and both were equally passionate about the game. Not much to say about them, but they would have been good competition to the Williamses.

9. Bjorn Borg/John McEnroe: How about this one? Detached, yet attached. Borg not complaining at all while McEnroe yelling for the life of him. Borg could have added other slams to his kitty and Mc could have learnt to watch his temper.

Maybe Borg should have tried this when he came out of retirement. It would have definitely worked.

10. Martina Hingis/ Williams Sisters: I know Hingis was cheekily rude about the Williamses. But maybe if she would have been a doubles player with either one of them, she might have felt otherwise or at least it would have stopped the media for hyping and blowing the issue out of proportion all together. Professionally, though it would have been "See one, get another absolutely free."