Tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's doubles

The men's doubles competition was part of the tennis program at the 1996 Summer Olympics. It was held from 25 July to 2 August at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center.[1] There were 31 pairs from 31 nations, with each nation limited to one pair (two players).[1] The pair from Uzbekistan did not start. The event was won the "Woodies," Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia. It was the fourth of five components the pair needed for a career Golden Slam; they would win the French Open in 2000 to complete the achievement. It was Australia's first official medal in the event, though an Australian player was a member of a mixed team that took bronze in the 1896 event 100 years earlier. Great Britain earned its first medal in the men's doubles since 1924, as Neil Broad and Tim Henman reached the final before being defeated by the Australians. Germany made a second consecutive podium appearance with Marc-Kevin Goellner and David Prinosil winning the bronze medal match.

Men's doubles
Tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Champions Todd Woodbridge
Mark Woodforde (AUS)
Runners-up Neil Broad
Tim Henman (GBR)
Final score6–4, 6–4, 6–2
Men's doubles
at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad
Todd Woodbridge (2004)
Mark Woodforde (2011)
VenueStone Mountain Tennis Center
Dates25 July – 2 August
Competitors31 teams (62 players) from 31 nations
Medalists
Todd Woodbridge
Mark Woodforde
 Australia
Neil Broad
Tim Henman
 Great Britain
Marc-Kevin Goellner
David Prinosil
 Germany
Tennis at the
1996 Summer Olympics
Singlesmenwomen
Doublesmenwomen

Background

This was the 10th appearance of men's doubles tennis. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. A demonstration event was held in 1968.

This was the first Olympics at which Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde played together. Woodbridge had played with John Fitzgerald in 1992. Since pairing with Woodforde, the Australians had won four consecutive Wimbledone titles. They were heavy favorites in the Olympic tournament.[1] 1992 silver medalist Wayne Ferreira of South Africa returned, this time paired with (unrelated) Ellis Ferreira rather than Piet Norval. Bronze medalist Javier Frana of Argentina also returned with a new partner, Luis Lobo.

Chinese Taipei, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, the Ivory Coast, Slovakia, and Venezuela each made their debut in the event. Great Britain made its eighth appearance in the event, most of any nation.

Competition format

The competition was a single-elimination tournament. A bronze medal match was reintroduced after not being held in 1988 or 1992. All matches except the final were best-of-three sets, down from best-of-five in previous Games; the final remained best-of-five. Tiebreaks were used for any set before the third that reached 6–6.

Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)

Date Time Round
Thursday, 25 July 1996
Friday, 26 July 1996		Round of 32
Saturday, 27 July 1996
Sunday, 28 July 1996		Round of 16
Monday, 29 July 1996Quarterfinals
Wednesday, 31 July 199611:00
13:00		Semifinals
Thursday, 1 August 199617:00Bronze medal match
Saturday, 3 August 199615:00Final

Seeds
  1.  Todd Woodbridge /Mark Woodforde (AUS) (Champions)
  2.  Grant Connell / Daniel Nestor (CAN) (Second Round)
  3.  Jacco Eltingh / Paul Haarhuis (NED) (Semifinals)
  4.  Jonas Björkman / Nicklas Kulti (SWE) (First Round)
  5.  Jiří Novák / Jan Vacek (CZE) (Quarterfinals)
  6.  Ellis Ferreira / Wayne Ferreira (RSA) (Quarterfinals)
  7.  Javier Frana / Luis Lobo (ARG) (First Round)
  8.  Byron Black / Wayne Black (ZIM) (Second Round)

Draw

Key

Finals
Semifinals Final (Gold Medal Match)
            
1  Todd Woodbridge (AUS)
 Mark Woodforde (AUS) 		6 5 18
3  Jacco Eltingh (NED)
 Paul Haarhuis (NED) 		2 7 16
1  Todd Woodbridge (AUS)
 Mark Woodforde (AUS) 		6 6 6    
   Neil Broad (GBR)
 Tim Henman (GBR) 		4 4 2    
   Marc-Kevin Goellner (GER)
 David Prinosil (GER) 		6 3 8
   Neil Broad (GBR)
 Tim Henman (GBR) 		4 6 10 Bronze Medal Match
3  Jacco Eltingh (NED)
 Paul Haarhuis (NED) 		2 5  
   Marc-Kevin Goellner (GER)
 David Prinosil (GER) 		6 7  

Top Half
First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals
1  T Woodbridge (AUS)
 M Woodforde (AUS) 		6 3 6
   A Boetsch (FRA)
 G Raoux (FRA) 		2 6 3 1  T Woodbridge (AUS)
 M Woodforde (AUS) 		4 6 6
   M Bhupathi (IND)
 L Paes (IND) 		4 6 6    M Bhupathi (IND)
 L Paes (IND) 		6 2 2
WC  B Pan (CHN)
 J Xia (CHN) 		6 4 4 1  T Woodbridge (AUS)
 M Woodforde (AUS) 		6 6  
Alt  S Iwabuchi (JPN)
 T Suzuki (JPN) 		4 77 8    S Bruguera (ESP)
 T Carbonell (ESP) 		4 1  
   J C Bianchi (VEN)
 N Pereira (VEN) 		6 65 6 Alt  S Iwabuchi (JPN)
 T Suzuki (JPN) 		77 2 5
   S Bruguera (ESP)
 T Carbonell (ESP) 		6 78      S Bruguera (ESP)
 T Carbonell (ESP) 		61 6 7
7  J Frana (ARG)
 L Lobo (ARG) 		3 66   1  T Woodbridge (AUS)
 M Woodforde (AUS) 		6 5 18
3  J Eltingh (NED)
 P Haarhuis (NED) 		6 61 6 3  J Eltingh (NED)
 P Haarhuis (NED) 		2 7 16
WC  A Pavel (ROM)
 D Pescariu (ROM) 		2 77 4 3  J Eltingh (NED)
 P Haarhuis (NED) 		6 6  
WC  C N'Goran (CIV)
 C N'Goran (CIV) 		6 6   WC  C N'Goran (CIV)
 C N'Goran (CIV) 		4 4  
WC  C-J Chen (TPE)
 Y-H Lien (TPE) 		2 2   3  J Eltingh (NED)
 P Haarhuis (NED) 		77 77  
Alt  A Agassi (USA)
 M Washington (USA) 		6 4 6 6  E Ferreira (RSA)
 W Ferreira (RSA) 		64 64  
Alt  A Hernández (MEX)
 Ó Ortiz (MEX) 		3 6 4 Alt  A Agassi (USA)
 M Washington (USA) 		5 77 0
   G Köves (HUN)
 L Markovits (HUN) 		1 1   6  E Ferreira (RSA)
 W Ferreira (RSA) 		7 62 6
6  E Ferreira (RSA)
 W Ferreira (RSA) 		6 6  

Bottom Half
First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals
8  B Black (ZIM)
 W Black (ZIM) 		6 6  
WC  H-T Lee (KOR)
 Y-I Yoon (KOR) 		4 2   8  B Black (ZIM)
 W Black (ZIM) 		4 66  
   M-K Goellner (GER)
 D Prinosil (GER) 		4 6 7    M-K Goellner (GER)
 D Prinosil (GER) 		6 78  
   A Gaudenzi (ITA)
 D Nargiso (ITA) 		6 1 5    M-K Goellner (GER)
 D Prinosil (GER) 		6 6  
   M Knowles (BAH)
 R Smith (BAH) 		78 77      S Hiršzon (CRO)
 G Ivanišević (CRO) 		2 3  
   E Couto (POR)
 B Mota (POR) 		66 64      M Knowles (BAH)
 R Smith (BAH) 		64 3  
   S Hiršzon (CRO)
 G Ivanišević (CRO) 		77 77      S Hiršzon (CRO)
 G Ivanišević (CRO) 		77 6  
4  J Björkman (SWE)
 N Kulti (SWE) 		64 64      M-K Goellner (GER)
 D Prinosil (GER) 		6 3 8
5/Alt  J Novák (CZE)
 J Vacek (CZE) 		w/o        N Broad (GBR)
 T Henman (GBR) 		4 6 10
WC  O Ogorodov (UZB)
 D Tomashevich (UZB) 		      5/Alt  J Novák (CZE)
 J Vacek (CZE) 		7 6  
Alt  K Carlsen (DEN)
 F Fetterlein (DEN) 		4 6 3 Alt  P Campana (ECU)
 N Lapentti (ECU) 		5 4  
Alt  P Campana (ECU)
 N Lapentti (ECU) 		6 3 6 5/Alt  J Novák (CZE)
 J Vacek (CZE) 		64 4  
   N Broad (GBR)
 T Henman (GBR) 		6 6      N Broad (GBR)
 T Henman (GBR) 		77 6  
WC  J Krošlák (SVK)
 K Kučera (SVK) 		3 3      N Broad (GBR)
 T Henman (GBR) 		77 4 6
WC  S Barron (IRL)
 O Casey (IRL) 		4 4   2  G Connell (CAN)
 D Nestor (CAN) 		65 6 4
2  G Connell (CAN)
 D Nestor (CAN) 		6 6  

References
  1. "Doubles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
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