Dann, 31 and Brian, 28 Battistone, the flying doubles playing brothers who received wildcards at the ATP events in Newport, RI and Indianapolis, IN are getting a ton of publicity in the last month. The pair feature a running and jumping happy gilmore volleyball type serve, and both play with two-handled racquets, which are legal on the tour. These brothers are finally winning some professional tournaments in doubles tennis. They are playing with a revolutionary two handled racquet which is key to their 135mph volleyball type serve in which he leaps high in the air and smashes the ball.I actually got the privilege of watching the brothers play doubles and singles with little to no crowd. I was able to speak to them after their match because I thought it was really odd to be playing with that racquet and thought he had some sort of disability because he was playing a really awkward game. He was crushing serves and jumping and hitting one handed forehands on each side and sometimes two handed on either side. There was no rhyme or reason to it I guess they were just playing on feel but the singles match I did watch in full was with the taller brother with the big serve who was playing I think it was a midget (seriously). So I was not sure if this was even a real match. It was at Wesley Chapel, Florida at a pro tournament that I tried to play in but had more fun socializing with these guys, Thomas Blake, and many others. I am not sure if this racquet will catch on but I when I saw them play I asked for one for free because no one was even watching the match much less was I going to be willing to pay for something so random looking. I then was going to buy it off of them but they wanted $200 so I said no thanks. I rarely pay for my racquets and if I pay for them it is a good deal. I told them I would send them business but they didnt really care so I took a card and their phone number and was on my way. Now eight months later they are in magazines, websites, winning, and galore. Good for them.
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