ubles Partners: They Com· Ii ment Each Other

By Jerry Stack Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

What brings partners together? There are convenience reasons and business reasons for partnerships. There is friendship. There are blind dates. Some partners get together for laughs. Abbott and Costello. Some to dance. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Some to.sing. Donnie and Marie. Some to rob banks. Bonnie and Clyde. And some to play tennis. McEnroe and Fleming. * * * The notoriety in tennis partnerships isn't what it is in other endeavors. But then, even in tennis, doubles players have generally taken a back seat to singles players. "Everybody thinks singles because tennis is an individual sport," said Peter Fleming, he of the McEnroe-Fleming partnership. · Tomorrow at the Checkerdome, John McEnroe and Peter Fleming take center stage. They will meet the Swedish team of Anders Jarryd and Hans Simonsson at l p.m. in this weekend's quarterfinals of the Davis r:up competition between the United States and Sweden. In Davis Cup play, the doubles ·match is every bit as important as the singles. And every bit as exciting. McEnroe and Fleming are coming off a loss in the Wimbledon doubles final, but they still are considered the · No. l team in the world. Jarryd and Simonsson are considered among the top 10 in the world. Last year in Davis Cup, the Swedes upset Australia's Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee, this year's Wimbledon champs. Jarryd sees tomorrow's match as the most important match of his doubles career. "I think so," he said. "I hope so." * * * "There are a lot of things that enter into a partnership," Fleming said, talking about his with McEnroe. Wayne Crosslin/Post-Dispatch Friendship is what brought the two The Sweden Davis Cup doubles team of Hans Simonsson (left) and Anders Jarryd. The U.S. Davis Cup doubles team of Peter Fleming (left) and John McEnroe. together. They met at a tournament in Port Washington, N. Y., 11 yearn ago when It was six years later that the As Fleming has said, "I like to blast years. And it helps our doubles that we been five players ever with the talent of a doubles team to compete in the McEnroe was 12 and Fleming 16. "We doubles partnership between McEnroe out. John will dink and lob. I'm big (6- know each other so well." he has," Fleming said. King's Cup (the European version of were as friendly as a guy being 16 and and Fleming was formed. That was in feet-5). He's quick, he can cover. It's Fleming, who was ranked as high as It is more than talent that has made the Davis Cup). Sjogren, who was the other 12 could be," Fleming said. 1977 when McEnroe stormed onto the difficult for opponents to get into a No. 13 in the world in singles in 1979but the McEnroe-Fleming · partnership a captain of Sweden's King's Cup team, "When I first met John, it was kind tennis scene by reaching the semifinals rhythm against us." has since dropped out of the top 100, smashing success. "John's attitude has saw a perfect match in the styles of of funny. One of the pros at Port at Wimbledon. "I was one of the few There also is their intensity. Or is it knows his place in the tennis hierarchy rubbed off on me," Fleming said. "The Jarryd, then 19 years old, and Washington was talking about this little guys on the tour that he knew then," temper? "Temper is temper," is alongside McEnroe. main reason for our success has been 90 Simonsson, then 18. kid who was a great player. I was · Fleming said. according to Fleming, "whether you "People ask me if it's hard being percent his doing." "Simonsson is steady, Jarryd is thinking, c'mon, how good can a 12- "We said, 'Let's try it.' We didn't get mad at yourself or someone else. If known as John McEnroe's doubles explosive," Sjogren said. "If you get year-old be." think we'd bean amazing team. We just one of us screws up - and we usually partner," Fleming said. "Well, of * * * two fast players, for example, it can be Fleming found out He played the 12- thought it WQuld be fun playing do - it doesn't bother the other." course, I'd rather be known as a great The partnership of Jarryd- too much. I had an idea about what I year-old McEnroe, giving him a sizable together. We played well from the start McEnroe ec.hoed Fleming's singles player. But it doesn't bother Simonsson was created and nurtured by wanted. Sometimes you get lucky." handicap. "And he just killed me,"· and we've been very close friends ever sentiments. "I'm sure we've had our me." the matchmaking and coaching of John So Sjogren can take the credit for the Fleming said. "He was always pretty since." disagreements," McEnroe said. "But Fleming knows there's only one Sjogren. success of the Jarryd-Simonsson team. old for his age." Their styles complement each other. we've been best friends for a couple of McEnroe. "I don't think there have In January 1981, Sweden was in need "And the blame," Simonsson said.