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Paes and Stepanek Just Crushed The Bryans
2 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Bios, Scoop
By Scoop Malinowski
A masterclass performance by Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek. They moved the match to court one because Maria and Caro went long. I get there at 3-2 Paes/Step and they are up a break already. The court is packed, I mean jam packed.
Paes and Step beat the Bs in Australian final so this is a very important Master Series semi. Paes and Step look the dominant team and have a couple of deciding points which Step nets on first serves. They take the first set 64 and break early in the second and are clearly the better team.
They get free points with serves to the Bs backhands and win the battles at the net. They make the Bryans look average, if you can believe that. Also, Paes and Step communicate much more than the Bs, constantly talking and chatting on changeover, the Bs barely talk at all and are in their own worlds at their chairs. Also I notice Paes and Step have their chairs position a couple of inches closer together than the Bryans.
Paes has a habit of sometimes slightly sticking his tongue out for about a half second right before he launches into his serve motion. He also makes many positive facial expressions and nods and big smiles, like he’s in control, the commander of the court.
Paes and Step, with Step serving got broken at love to level it 4-4. Suddenly the Bryans, who appeared emotionally flat and stoic for the entire match had an injection of life. But it was shortlived. They were broken right back by a Paes forehand return on the decider which Bryan tried to poach and volley but he netted Paes pinpoint return.
Step barked “Great return” and when they sat down on their chairs he added, “I love you.” Paes leaned over to his left, grabbed Step’s head and kissed him on the forehead.
They went out and with Paes serving finished it without much problem, 64 64.
Simply a masterful performance by maybe the world’s best doubles team. However, a Paes entourage member told me, he was seated to my right, that Step will only play singles at the French Open and Paes will have to find another partner.
Key Biscayne · Leander Paes · Miami Open · Radek Stepanek
Scoop Malinowski · March 29, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Got a Biofile with Step after the match, really good one. he said the first famous player he met was Thomas Muster, he warmed him up before an exo. Also did a Biofile update with Pat Mac today for New York Tennis. Huge thanks for Patrick mentioning my Rios book last night during the Tsonga-Nadal match.
Dan Markowitz · March 30, 2012 at 2:02 am
I love that exchange with Step saying, “I love you,” and Paes kissing him on the forehead. Those guys are so genuine and that emotion so real. It is an amazing experience to watch them play doubles, and I’m not much of a doubles guy. (In fact, I’m so much not a doubles guy that when I played No. 3 singles at SUNY Cortland in the 80’s, I didn’t even play doubles, which in college tennis is usually composed of the top 6 singles players.)
But Paes/Stepanek is one of the best shows in tennis. Their quickness, their emotion, their humor and their togetherness. I wonder who Paes will play doubles with at the French and even Wimbledon as Bhupathi and Bopanna are a team now.