USTA NorCal News

Doubles play is important for the development of junior tennis players. Firstly doubles helps youngsters develop a more complete set of skills on the court. In particular doubles gives junior players the chance to gain confidence with their transition game and net play. In addition many tennis players enjoy the strategic challenges that doubles provides. And finally let’s not forget the fun factor of doubles! Juniors thoroughly enjoy the chance to be out on court, competing alongside their friends and peers.

 

USTA national, USTA NorCal, and also ITF junior events all utilize a combined ranking system where players gain points based on their singles and doubles play. And as a section the USTA NorCal, as well as the Junior Council and TAUT Committees are constantly brainstorming for new ways to increase the doubles participation of our up and coming players.

 

Our first NorCal "DOUBLES SPOTLIGHT" is to highlight a doubles team that has been a national and now an international standout. Hadley Berg and Mary Closs recently made it all the way to the finals of the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, played in Plantation Florida, this past December 4th – 10th, 2011. The Orange Bowl is one of the biggest and most prestigious junior tournaments on the planet. Hadley and Mary currently train at the Kim Grant Tennis Academy in Palo Alto. Kim Grant is a former WTA Professional player who has spent some 18 years on the women’s pro tour.

 

 

"Mary and Hadley played great doubles at the Orange Bowl. I think that they played as a team much more effectively than the girls they faced. They outsmarted their opponents with doubles strategy and aggressive play," says mother Nancy Closs. "They scouted their opponents when they weren’t practicing, and they worked with Kim to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams. The girls have done a lot of work off the court, learning doubles strategy."

 

Mary Closs has so many great things to say about the value of training with Kim. "Kim has helped Mary and Hadley improve in so many ways. She has taught them to capitalize on each other’s strengths when playing doubles. Kim educated the girls in doubles strategy. She watched matches with them and pointed out many, many things to help them think on the court and play as a team."

 

I asked the girls why they focus so much on their doubles game: 

I play doubles because it's fun to be out on the court with someone else and have someone to talk with. I think that the strategy part of the game makes it really challenging, which appeals to me," says Mary Closs.

 

"Hadley and I have played with each other for a couple of years now, so we have really gotten to know each other well on and off the court. On the court, we have learned each other's games and strengths and really try to make those prominent. Since we have played together so much, we have a good sense of awareness of where we are on the court and where the other person is."

 

And how have the girls taken their doubles to another level? 

"We have improved our doubles skills by learning to play for each other. We've learned to build off each other’s strengths. We have also improved our strategy. Instead of reacting, we try to develop plans for each point, of what shot were going to hit when and where we are going to move. Also we used a lot of variety, from I formation to tandem, which really helped get us as far as we did."

 

When asked about their big run at the Orange Bowl Mary said: "It was exciting to get as far as we did in Orange Bowl! We upset some strong teams and seeds along the way. Competing at such a high level was really fun, and getting to the finals made it even more exciting."

 

Hadley Berg hails from San Rafael, CA. Her mother is Lisa Berg, the director of the San Rafael Racquet Club, and her brother is a former NorCal No. 1 and division I standout at the University of New Mexico. Lisa Berg tells us:

 

"Hadley and Mary both LOVE doubles and their games are well suited for it. They love to attack and are not afraid to do it anytime. Volleys are a big part of their repertoire. Serving and volleying or returning and coming in are what they want to do rather than something they think they ‘should’ do."

 

"They feel comfortable with signals (in fact they get a kick out of it) and are great at mixing things up so the opponents cannot get a real rhythm. Best of all, they are great friends and they both exhibit good sportsmanship on and off the court."

 

"Kim is one of the most caring coaches I have ever seen. She is very smart and loves working with juniors that want to improve and work hard. She is passionate about the game and her work ethic is extremely high. Hadley and Mary have really benefited from having someone that has very high standards and both the girls are starting to understand where this hard work can take them. Kim has shown them how the pros train and it has really inspired them!"

 

And talk about bringing a professional approach to junior tennis. "Kim Grant had them on clay here in the Bay Area for a few weeks prior to going to Florida. They also went down 5 days early to acclimate to the humidity, the clay there, and the time change," says Lisa.

 

So what can other NorCal players take away from this story? Take the time to learn the game of doubles and improve doubles specific skills! It’s fun, strategic, social and it can really translate into valuable competitive experiences. Doubles can help young players gain confidence that can eventually carry over onto the singles court. Doubles is also a vital part of our NorCal Summer Team events (Zonals, Intersectionals, and National Teams). Doubles is a huge part of College Tennis and doubles success increases your chances of being recruited to a top school.