by Deuce With Mick stumping us with his tennis trivia questions in the 'GOAT Debate' thread, I figured it would be good to have a specific thread for tennis-related trivia questions.
Of course, anyone can post the questions, and everyone is free to take a shot at answering them. I hope we can have a regular run of a few questions every month.
As always, it's best to not cheat in looking up the answers, as that rather ruins it for those who are legitimately trying to think of the answers.
I'm sometimes ok at finding the answers to some trivia questions, but I'm quite bad at thinking of trivia questions to pose. But I guess I needed to come up with one to start off this thread on the right foot - so, because I'm not good at thinking of trivia questions, I went looking for a decent one. It is this:
What trophy is officially called the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy?
.
by
ti-amie 
I take it it's not Wimbledon's. There's a reason I don't do well at trivia questions.
by Deuce No... most people would think it's Wimbledon - but it's not.
by mick1303 Well, I also thought about Wimbledon first and other famous tournament second. Because these two to my knowledge initially had Challenge system, when last year winner went straight to the final. So now I'm almost positive about the correct answer. But there is a chance that other tournament also had a Challenge system, which I'm not aware of. I'm not that knowledgeable about pre-WWII tennis. Or maybe "Challenge" in the title was used in a broader sense....
by
Deuce mick1303 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:15 pm
Well, I also thought about Wimbledon first and other famous tournament second. Because these two to my knowledge initially had Challenge system, when last year winner went straight to the final. So now I'm almost positive about the correct answer. But there is a chance that other tournament also had a Challenge system, which I'm not aware of. I'm not that knowledgeable about pre-WWII tennis. Or maybe "Challenge" in the title was used in a broader sense....
So what's your answer, Mick?
by mick1303 Well, if you said that it is not Wimbledon, than the other one that I know had a Challenge system initially is a Davis Cup.
by
Deuce mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 7:08 am
Well, if you said that it is not Wimbledon, than the other one that I know had a Challenge system initially is a Davis Cup.
Yes, interestingly, the original - and still official - name of the Davis Cup trophy is the
International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy.
Feel free to post the next question, Mick - or anyone else. As I said, I'm lousy at thinking of trivia questions.
by ti-amie Ya did good with this one Deuce. I would never have guessed it was the official name of the Davis Cup Trophy
by
Deuce ti-amie wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 7:29 pm
Ya did good with this one Deuce. I would never have guessed it was the official name of the Davis Cup Trophy
Thanks - I had to do a search for tennis trivia questions to find this one. A lot of the questions I came across were rather ridiculous like "How many points do you have in tennis if your score is Love?"
I thought this Davis Cup question was good, so I used it - I wouldn't have known the answer.
Of course, we can't all be like Mick and think up good trivia questions off the top of our heads - so searching for questions is obviously permitted by anyone.
by mick1303 I can repeat the question from the GOAT thread here, because nobody tried to answer.
Who was the male singles slam champion, who most recently reached semifinals in doubles slam and why this result could be debatable.
by ponchi101 If we are counting any number of slams PLUS any doubles victory, Rafter did win one slam doubles.
But the answer to your question is elusive.
by
Deuce mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:38 pm
I can repeat the question from the GOAT thread here, because nobody tried to answer.
Who was the male singles slam champion, who most recently reached semifinals in doubles slam and why this result could be debatable.
I'm thinking Wawrinka... but I can't find any significant doubles statistics on him to confirm or eliminate him as the answer.
And I don't know why the result would be questionable or controversial.
by
mick1303 ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 9:07 pm
If we are counting any number of slams PLUS any doubles victory, Rafter did win one slam doubles.
But the answer to your question is elusive.
I think you're somehow stuck on the first question (already answered) and it affects you vision of the second. It was stated that Kafelnikov was in fact the last Singles Champion who also won in doubles (both multiple times). This is where the first question ends and the second starts. The premise of the second question is that there are no doubles wins for singles champions anymore. Not even a final appearances in doubles. Rafter's doubles win came in 1999 and as such can not be the answer neither to the first nor to the second question. My statement was that since French Open 2002 (Kafelnikov/Vacek win) the best result for the singles champion in doubles was a semi. Which player and when reached it?
by
mick1303 Deuce wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 10:32 pm
mick1303 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:38 pm
I can repeat the question from the GOAT thread here, because nobody tried to answer.
Who was the male singles slam champion, who most recently reached semifinals in doubles slam and why this result could be debatable.
I'm thinking Wawrinka... but I can't find any significant doubles statistics on him to confirm or eliminate him as the answer.
And I don't know why the result would be questionable or controversial.
Wawrinka's best result in Slam's doubles is R16. Not the correct answer. I don't want to give up that hint just yet. But it is definitely not "controversial" in any sense. And it is questionable only in the context of this trivia.
by mick1303 Ok, I see that without a hint nobody else tried to answer the trivia. Giving it up: the result in question (reaching semifinals in the doubles slam) happen before said player won his first singles slam titles. So at that moment he was not yet a singles slam champion. But overall career-wise, he has that result in doubles and also single title(s). And that result in doubles happened after 2002 Roland Garros. Who is that player?
by skatingfan So Kafelnikov lost the 2003 Roland Garros final, but obviously that's not the answer you're looking for.
by
ponchi101 It is a very hard question.
I have ruled out: Hewitt, Cilic, Delpo, Safin, Ferrero, Gaudio and Costa. And I can't still find him.
by
mick1303 skatingfan wrote: ↑Sat Dec 03, 2022 10:56 am
So Kafelnikov lost the 2003 Roland Garros final, but obviously that's not the answer you're looking for.
It is not. I should've stated it better in the question. Either exclude Kafelnikov itself from the list, or move the date "since 2003 Roland Garros". Works either way.
by
mick1303 ponchi101 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 03, 2022 4:19 pm
It is a very hard question.
I have ruled out: Hewitt, Cilic, Delpo, Safin, Ferrero, Gaudio and Costa. And I can't still find him.
I imagine how massively surprised you will be, when you finally find the correct answer ))
by mick1303 Pay attention to the fact, that I said "result in the doubles slam", without stating specific slam. It looks like you mistakenly concentrated on French Open.
by
ponchi101 I was eliminating all one slam wonders...
by
Deuce mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 03, 2022 10:05 am
Ok, I see that without a hint nobody else tried to answer the trivia. Giving it up: the result in question (reaching semifinals in the doubles slam) happen before said player won his first singles slam titles. So at that moment he was not yet a singles slam champion. But overall career-wise, he has that result in doubles and also single title(s). And that result in doubles happened after 2002 Roland Garros. Who is that player?
Given the time frame you mention ("after 2002 Roland Garros"), I'm sticking with the Swiss and saying it's Federer.
He won his first Major in 2003, and it's conceivable that he reached the semis in doubles at a Major between 2002 Roland Garros and his first singles Major at Wimbledon 2003.
by ponchi101 Ok, I found it. Truly surprising.
But as I did web searches, I disqualify myself. Let's see who else has a better memory than I.
by
mick1303 Deuce wrote: ↑Sat Dec 03, 2022 6:32 pm
mick1303 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 03, 2022 10:05 am
Ok, I see that without a hint nobody else tried to answer the trivia. Giving it up: the result in question (reaching semifinals in the doubles slam) happen before said player won his first singles slam titles. So at that moment he was not yet a singles slam champion. But overall career-wise, he has that result in doubles and also single title(s). And that result in doubles happened after 2002 Roland Garros. Who is that player?
Given the time frame you mention ("after 2002 Roland Garros"), I'm sticking with the Swiss and saying it's Federer.
He won his first Major in 2003, and it's conceivable that he reached the semis in doubles at a Major between 2002 Roland Garros and his first singles Major at Wimbledon 2003.
You're thinking in the right direction ) But the answer is not correct. Roger's best result was QF at Wimbledon and it was before specified timeframe.
by Deuce I was thinking Federer or Nadal - or even possibly Roddick... but, of the 3, Federer was pretty clearly the most likely to have achieved doubles success, so I chose him.
by patrick I chose Nadal based on his doubles prowess and after your Federer answer. Federer was my first answer until you posted it
by
Deuce patrick wrote: ↑Sun Dec 04, 2022 8:25 pm
I chose Nadal based on his doubles prowess and after your Federer answer. Federer was my first answer until you posted it
You're welcome!
Federer was always a natural volleyer, but Nadal wasn't. Nadal has definitely improved his volleying, and is a very capable volleyer now. But when we think of Nadal, we didn't think of a great volleyer - especially back 15 years or so ago. We think of a heavy topspin baseline player. And so, we don't think of Nadal as a doubles player.
Of course, neither Nadal nor Federer played much doubles in tournaments - it was more a 'special occasions' thing for them - Davis Cup, Olympics, etc. But, of the two, Federer was certainly the better doubles player 15 - 20 years ago due to his natural volleying skills. So I chose Federer as the answer.
Roddick could never volley to save his life, of course - he had the absolute ugliest and most unnatural game I've ever seen at the pro level, by far - and I wouldn't pick him as a doubles partner even in a club match. But maybe he got extremely lucky in a doubles draw once, and so could have been the answer to Mick's question that way.
by mmmm8 I think it's Murray and the result may have been in Mixed Doubles (thus "questionable"). But the French is throwing me off.
by
skatingfan mmmm8 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 04, 2022 10:25 pm
I think it's Murray and the result may have been in Mixed Doubles (thus "questionable"). But the French is throwing me off.
It's not the French - it's since the French Open in 2003 - Kafelnikov made the final, and since then the best result for a singles champion in doubles is a single semifinal.
by Deuce So... is the official answer Nadal, Mick?
by
mick1303 Deuce wrote: ↑Sat Dec 10, 2022 3:21 am
So... is the official answer Nadal, Mick?
Yes, Nadal is the correct answer
by mick1303 Another trivia on the similar theme: singles and doubles success.
Since 1990 (the emergence of the Masters Series) there were only 3 players who have multiple titles in both singles MS (1000 series) and doubles. One is Rafael Nadal. Who are the other two?
by ponchi101 I would venture Murray. Got to think about the other one.
by mick1303 Sorry,
I forgot that I was missing 90 and 91 results in doubles. This actually would change this list a lot ((
So we'll have to move the start of the period to 92...
by mmmm8 I know Becker was one but I'm not sure if your before/after 1992 changes that up.
I did guess the other one, but he was my fourth guess after checking three incorrect ones, so I'll wait for other people.
by Owendonovan Vince Spadea and Jan Michael Gambill. (complete stabs in the dark)
by
mick1303 Owendonovan wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2023 12:53 am
Vince Spadea and Jan Michael Gambill. (complete stabs in the dark)
Without even looking at doubles, neither Gambill nor Spadea never won singles MS. ))
by
mick1303 mmmm8 wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 6:44 pm
I know Becker was one but I'm not sure if your before/after 1992 changes that up.
I did guess the other one, but he was my fourth guess after checking three incorrect ones, so I'll wait for other people.
Becker would've been on the list if we count 90-91 doubles results. But considering conditions of this particular trivia (since 92) - he is not.
by mmmm8 Ok, I found both players but I felt like I had to verify so many of them. I did have to check because I had so many wrong guesses. I'll let people guess before posting.
They are not very surprising actually, just not necessarily top of mind.
by ponchi101 I ventured Murray. I will propose Tsonga. Maybe a doubles at Paris, with one of the good other french players?
by
3mlm mmmm8 wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2023 11:42 am
Ok, I found both players but I felt like I had to verify so many of them. I did have to check because I had so many wrong guesses. I'll let people guess before posting.
They are not very surprising actually, just not necessarily top of mind.
I have too, but ditto the verifying so many. The first not so hard, but the second I lacked belief he would have won two singles MS1000 titles and looked up many others that didn't win any doubles titles instead.
I'll let people guess (and verify) before posting.
by
mmmm8 ponchi101 wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2023 3:22 pm
I ventured Murray. I will propose Tsonga. Maybe a doubles at Paris, with one of the good other french players?
Nope on both - has to be at least two masters in both singles and doubles. Andy doesn't have any doubles. Tsonga's has one. It is, indeed, with Benneteau, but it's from Shanghai.