Wednesday, August 28, 2002
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Wednesday, August 28, 2002 |
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Fayetteville tennis player nets doubles championship with former star
By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Fayetteville resident Tom Cobb loves tennis. He has been playing the sport since the age of 10 and got more and more serious about it as he went through school. After attending West Georgia College and playing tennis there, Cobb began working for Delta and started a family. He continued to play tennis but did not reach the pinnacle of success until recently when he paired up with former pro Peter Doohan and began to dominate USTA national doubles tournaments. If the name "Peter Doohan" sounds familiar, that's because it probably is. Doohan had a couple of big wins on the ATP tour under his belt in the 1980s, including a stunning upset over Boris Becker in 1987 at Wimbledon that prevented Becker from a three-peat. Doohan was at one time ranked among the top 50 singles players in the world and in the top 10 for doubles players. Cobb met Doohan in a tournament in Rome, Ga., where Doohan handed Cobb a loss. Cobb made a brief mention that if Doohan ever wanted to play doubles to give him a call. The two men ran into each other some months later and Doohan said he was going to play in a tournament in Savannah and might be interested in playing doubles as well. Cobb quickly agreed and the two men entered the tournament and lost in the finals. They began to play in more tournaments together and started winning, including the Southern Championships, a tournament in Callaway Gardens and a tournament in Tampa, Fla. so that they could qualify for the national tournament in Providence, R.I., this summer. The tournament in Rhode Island put Cobb and Doohan on grass. It was Cobb's first time playing on grass but he got better as the tournament wore on. They ended up winning the tournament's Masters Division, boosting their confidence and their ranking before they head down to the Clay Court Championships in Savannah in October. "The key to success in doubles play is communication," said Cobb. "You have to enjoy playing with that person and be able to trust them in any situation." Cobb also cites Doohan's professional experience as something that helps give the team confidence and inspires Cobb to play his A-game. In 20 matches, Cobb and Doohan are 19-1. After an attempt to win the Clay Court Championships in October, Doohan will head to his native Australia to participate in the Australian Senior Grand Masters Tournament. Cobb will continue to play tennis and remain sharp for next year's tournaments. He may play a bit with his wife Dot, a former tennis player at UGA, or one of his two children Kristin, a student at McIntosh High School, or Preston, a student at the new Cleveland Elementary School.
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