Tennis players work for years to perfect individual skills, then they have to take that skill and pair it with someone whose style could be completely different.
That’s the challenge college tennis players face when they are paired with their doubles partners.
A sport that emphasizes individual accomplishments takes two players and mashes them together for a competition that, at the collegiate level, can often swing the tide of a match in a team’s favor.
“Doubles is basically a different sport,” said LSU junior player Ariel Morton. “The strategy is different; you can hit the ball in different spots.”
The chemistry players develop with their partners can be crucial in determining if a team wins or loses.
“No matter the skill set of the two playing together, if the chemistry is there, it’s possible to pull out the win,” said LSU men’s coach Jeff Brown.
Determining the doubles pairings is a long process that usually starts during the fall season.
Brown said this is when most of the experimenting with doubles lineups goes on.
“It’s definitely a trial and error process,” said LSU senior player Kaitlin Burns. “Playing with someone might not work out, but our coaches have done a really great job of making adjustments.”
Morton and sophomore Mary Jeremiah were first put together in the fall. During the spring season, the duo has advanced to playing on court one for the Lady Tigers.
Morton and Jeremiah have played their way to an 8-2 record during the spring.
“[Mary] and I have just learned how to play together,” Morton said. “We’ve gotten to the point where we can anticipate what one of us is going to do on the court.”
Burns said the off-court chemistry between players can help when developing a good doubles pairing.
The varying playing styles of members on the team can also affect the doubles pairings.
In doubles, there are two main types of players — spikers and setters. While a setter excels in setting up a point and moving across the baseline, a spiker’s job is to “kill” points when the time comes.
“One of the best things about [Jeremiah and Morton], is that they can play both styles effectively,” Burns said. “They feed off each other so well.”
LSU freshman Ella Taylor, Burns’ doubles partner, said Burns is the more aggressive of the two, which allows her to play closer to the net more effectively.
Off-court chemistry plays a crucial role in developing a doubles team as well.
Brown said players who are friends away from the court can help their partners through rough patches of play during a match.
“You never want to show frustration toward a teammate,” Morton said. “If they’re having an off match, it could just make them play worse.”
Taylor said some of the teams they have played this year have self-destructed when one partner has yelled at another after a mistake.
Like dealing with friends with different personality traits, some people respond differently to certain types of criticism.
“Some players just need a kick in the pants during a bad match,” Brown said. “Some require a different approach.”
The off-court chemistry between the women’s team may have boosted its doubles performance during the year. The Lady Tigers only have seven players on their roster, with the only Southeastern Conference team having fewer players with six.
Taylor said the team feels no obligation to be together away from tennis, but always ends up together since they get along so well.
“It’s definitely the highlight of this team,” Burns said. “We all get along so well that it makes it really easy to play together and help each other out.”
LSU sophomore Mary Jeremiah backhands the ball Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 during the the Tigers' singles matches against Nicholls State Colonels.
