The Doubles Exception List

Doubles Exception List: For tennis players in a committed doubles partnership, a list of people they are allowed to play doubles with.

(definition courtesy of Stacee Ann Harris)

For the first time since college, approaching the twenty-five year mark, I have a committed doubles partnership. It's just a small thing - we play once a week in a recreational league together - but I have to say it's definitely something I've missed. A doubles partner can be many things - teammate, friend, shrink, life coach, personal trainer, cheerleader, mind-reader, and fire fighter. The bonds are strong, loyalty fierce. At some point, "she" and "me" invariably become "we". WE win or WE lose; WE play well or WE play poorly. Her movements become mine and mine hers; we move as one, perfectly in sync. 

I came through high school a singles player. In fact, my high school coach made it known that I would NEVER be a good doubles player. I have to admit, I was far from a natural at it, but there was something about doubles that I absolutely loved. Maybe it was that I wasn't alone, that my fate was linked. Because I was a singles player who played doubles, I cherished my partners. And I still remember each of them - Danica, my first doubles partner and secret first love (it was a secret to everyone involved, including me, at the time); Kendall, the senior who I was so in awe of I didn't dare make a mistake; Kellie, who called me "Space" (Space Goddess was my college nickname) so often that she didn't know my real name; Lora, a cute, blond sorority girl who liked to cuss even more than I did; and Signe, one of the most mentally tough players I've ever met. 

I've played doubles with dozens of other partners over the years, so much so that I've become quite versatile (I can play deuce and ad sides equally well), but something was always missing. I found myself envying the partnerships I saw. How they clicked. How they had each other's backs. The partnership. The knowing. The We. And now with my new partner, I have it, too, and it feels as good as I remember it feeling.

Leslie, my current doubles partner, and I aren't exclusive. We both play in other leagues with other people. Some partners don't do that. I've known partnerships that have gone on exclusively for years. To play with someone else must seem unnatural, if a bit disloyal, like trading away a spouse for a weekend (for those not predisposed to swinging, I mean). It would assuredly be awkward at first, like kissing a new lover - you get used to certain movements, certain ways of doing, and there are questions that must be asked. It might smooth out, but there'd still be instances of starting and stopping, balls sailing up the middle, lobs not tracked down, unheeded calls of "Yours!" 

So would it even be worth doing, trading in a partner? I'm here to say that when I'm in an exclusive partnership, I prefer to play solely with my partner. However, there are exceptions to every rule. Like if one of the people on my Doubles Exception List ever asked me to play 

Ok, so they're all pros and I'd have to win an entry into some kind of charity Pro-Am, but it could happen. Seriously, it could. If you think about it, the odds of scratching someone off my Doubles Exception List are far better than the odds of scratching someone off my Exception List (see my blog entitled, "The Exception List"). At least we all play tennis, not everyone on my other list shares my... I'm going to leave it at that.

Here we go. Unlike, my Exception List, I'm going to name names. After all it's only tennis. For the uninitiated (or under-initiated), Google and/or Wikipedia might become your friend as you continue reading. I recommend having one or both at your disposal. You Tube, as I think of it, might be fun as well. I've included Twitter handles, just for fun. Oh, and unlike some of my other "List" blogs, the numbers do mean something.

1. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (@BMattek). I've seen Bethanie play some spectacular singles (check out her third round match against Serena Williams at the 2015 U.S. Open), but her gifts and skills are uniquely suited to doubles.   Lightening quick, fiery, and fearless with long socks, wild colored hair, and a don't-fuck-with-me attitude, she's always reminded me refuge from the Texas Rollergirls. Her game is a study of pinpoint accuracy and control mixed with an intensity that'll blow your hair back. It's as if she effortlessly balances on the tip of the sword while calmly lighting her hair on fire...and somehow makes it all work to her advantage.

Bethanie may often be the smallest player on court, but she brings the biggest game and ends up owning the court. And she does it all fearlessly. That's why she is #1 on my list. It is her game, her attitude, her fearlessness, that I hope to emulate every time I step on court. To play just one set with her - Hell, one game - would be almost as good as scratching someone off my other Exception List. Almost.

2. Alla Kudryavtseva (@AllaK11). In all honesty, when the Austin Aces (formerly) of Mylan World Team Tennis drafted Alla last year, I had no idea who she was. When I Googled her (as I suggest you do right now), I discovered she was a fair to middling player, much like many of the WTT draftees. I didn't have much hope for a spectacular season, but bought season tickets nonetheless. And I'm so happy that I did. Not even one match in, it was clear what Alla would bring to the Aces and the fans that sprinkled the bleachers at Gregory Gym. Alla quickly became  the heart and soul of the Aces. And lest you think she was just some upbeat-happy-go-lucky-let's-just-have-a-good-time cheerleader, think again. She also became the anchor of both the women's and mixed doubles pairings, playing with an unrivaled intensity. Case in point - After taking a near-miss head-shot from Anastasia Rodionova (of the Washington Kastles), the friendly young woman who had done the YMCA with the ball kids at intermission, turned toward the net and BOWED UP. Now, I'm sure there was a bit of personal history mixed in with the competitiveness of the match, but damn.

That was the night Alla made the list. Who wouldn't want to play with an enthusiastic cheerleader who isn't afraid to throw down the gloves and rumble? I like to think I'd do the same. 

3. Samantha Stosur (@bambamsam30). Duh, right? But at #3? I know, I know. Long term blog readers (like since circa 2012) will marvel that she isn't my #1. After all, Sam is hands-down my absolute favorite player. Even as her ranking sunk well into the 20s, I maintained my loyalty and plan to indefinitely. Ok, so about playing doubles with her. Sam's career stats are far better than either of the women ranked above her. She is a former World #1 in doubles, having reached the finals of every Grand Slam. There is truly nothing more fun than playing with someone who has big, overpowering weapons, like Sam's serve and forehand. They would create some easy set-ups that even I could put away. 

~

I would be remiss if I didn't include a Legend on my list. After all, I'm probably closer in age to the Legends of tennis than I am to current players. My Legend is an obvious choice. No, it's not Steffi Graf, my all-time favorite player of all-time. She was better known for singles than doubles. And while I'm sure she'd make a phenomenal partner (and I wouldn't turn her down if she offered), my Legend was equally spectacular in singles and doubles during her long, celebrated career. 

Legend - Martina Navratilova (@Martina). And it's not because she's replied to my tweets. Martina came of age at a difficult time to come of age. Fighting to get beyond the Iron Curtain then fighting for legitimacy in the West, Martina's game was one built on strength, grit, and determination. When I was growing up, I didn't realize the importance of Martina. I had no idea that I had anything in common with a muscular serve and vollier who "ate to win" (Google it. It's not a pun). It wasn't until I came out and studied the history of the LGBQT movement that I truly understood that Martina's place in history wasn't just as a tennis player. At a time when it wasn't popular to stand, Martina and a few stalwart others stood and did so proudly. So when I call Martina a "Legend" it is in the truest sense of the word. So, yeah, I'd pick her over Steffi, Chris, Tracy, Pam, Evonne, or Wendy. I'd even pick her over Billie Jean. Now there's some tennis blasphemy. Toss Althea into the mix and I might have to do rock-paper-scissor, though. 

Next week I'll be back to my new partnership. It's a good one, too, and one I hope will continue on for awhile. She's tall and rangy and can hit the overheads I usually eff up. Plus she keeps me up when I'm down ("Short memory, Stace") and when I apologize for missing a shot she always says that there's no sorry in tennis, only love. I like that. So while she's not Bethanie, Alla, Sam, or Martina, she's MY partner and I wouldn't have it any other way.