'There is one thing that I couldn't do and that was playing the Olympics'

This is the last tournament Rick Leach is playing before hanging up his boots after 14 prolific years on the doubles circuit. The hazel-eyed American from Laguna Beach wishes to spend more time with his wife Christi and daughter Paulina after a distinguished career that has fetched him nine Grand Slam events doubles titles and forty others.

Rick Leach and Ellis Ferreira

The soft-spoken former University of Southern California star believes that the doubles game is more interesting than singles. The singles game is a power struggle of outsized athleticism and machismo whereas doubles is all about artistry and finesse, he believes. ''Those watching find time to recognize the vocabulary of disguise and poaching, the key elements of the doubles play."

At the World Doubles Championships 2000 in Bangalore, Leach and Ellis Ferreira made it to the semi-finals on a better set score of 4-3 over the South American combine of Jaime Oncins of Brazil and Daniel Orasanic of Argentina, after rallying to defeat Australian duo of Josh Eagle and Andrew Florent in their concluding league match.

Speaking to Faisal Shariff, the left-handed Leach spoke about his only regret -- of never playing in the Olympics, and the need to find a reliable partner who compliments the other's game. Excerpts.

What according to you is the key to being a successful player?

I think the most important thing is to love the game and to have respect for the doubles tournament. A lot of the top singles players don't really learn how to play the game. Because it does take a certain skill to play doubles. It's a different game compared to the singles. You cannot put two good singles players together and make them a good doubles team. You have to learn how to play, you have to learn how to poach, you have to learn how to help your partner. And its very important that you find somebody to play with and stick with that person. You know, its tough to switch partners all the time and expect to do well.

When did you decide that you were a better doubles player than a singles player?

When I came on the tour I was trying to do both. And the first tournament in doubles I played as professional was at Queen's Club right before Wimbledon, in London, and I reached the final. And this is when I just turned professional. So I knew right there and then that I was going to excel in the doubles and that was kind of my niche. I could have never had the opportunities in singles if I hadn't played doubles. And I was able to win Grand Slams and play the Davis Cup and do things from doubles. I am very grateful for that.

You have been playing for the past 14 years. Who have you enjoyed playing most with?

That's a very good question, because each partner is such a different individual. And I would have to say that playing with Ellis has been a real treat for me, because he's a guy whose so talented that he is able to carry me to win a tournament. And at my age I don't think I could have done that unless I was playing with someone very talented. As you can see, he's an extrovert and he shows his emotions out there. And you know that today it was really funny, actually. Things weren't going well and we weren't getting any breaks, all the mishits were going their way. And then he just made me laugh. And that's important that you have a good time. Ellis sure does put on a show!

How? As a doubles partner, does he complete you?

It's very important in doubles to have someone who compliments your game. I am usually a guy that's very consistent. I don't hit the ball as hard as many other guys on the tour. I try to make lot of returns and I try not to make a lot of mistakes. So I am a kind of a set-up guy. People don't know, but I grew up with wooden rackets. I go back ways. I am more of a finesse player, so I need someone who is a power player and is able to put the ball away.

Rick Leach and Ellis Ferreira

With Ellis I have that, he can hit the ball as hard as anybody can of the forehand. It's important that you get somebody who compliments your game and you look at Leander and Mahesh. Leander is the quick guy and Mahesh is the power player. Leander makes a lot of returns and chips a lot of returns and keeps the ball low and then Mahesh puts them away. So, you need someone to compliment your game.

Who is the best you have played against in your entire career?

I have enjoyed playing against two great players: John McEnroe and Anders Jarryd. Jarryd, at the top of his game, was incredible. He beat me in the final of the Wimbledon and the French Open. He also beat me in a lot of big games. He was awesome and so was McEnroe at his peak. I got to play with him and against him. I also played Connors in singles and had the utmost respect for his return of service. I thought that was one of the most incredible things I have faced in tennis.

What was it about Jarryd and McEnroe's game that enamoured you?

Jarryd's inside out backhand return of serve was the best in the world. He could put that return in the far alley nine times out of ten. And that put a lot of pressure on you when you had a person like John Fitzgerald closing in and putting away the volley on you.

McEnroe had it all. His game was so amazing. I patterned my game after him. We have a similar games in the sense that we hit angles; we like to hit a lot of touch volleys and he respected the game in doubles and always played it and I always admired him for that. He was winning Wimbledon Championships and also playing the finals of the Wimbledon doubles. That sort of a thing would never happen today.

But McEnroe has recently made a statement that there is no place for doubles in professional tennis because no one watches it anymore. How do you react to that statement?

That surprised me because he played so much. Maybe, what he was trying to say was that it's too bad that the singles players don't do that anymore because they would. I know that he loves to play doubles because I still play and practice with him, and he loves it. But I think what he was saying was that it's too bad that we have a separate entity here and that we can't have people doing both.

In the past 14 years that you have played and had a satisfying career. Do you still feel that you missed out on something?

I think I have done a lot better than I thought I would. Winning nine Grand Slams, winning 40 tournaments and winning a tournament every year has been a big thrill for me. But there is one thing that I couldn't do and that was playing the Olympics. That is the only thing that I regret. I have come very close but never had a chance to get on the team.

The World Doubles Tennis Championships
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