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MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australian Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt have entered the doubles competition at the Australian Open as a wild-card entry, with both players admitting theyre planning to have "a bit of fun." It comes less than a month after John McEnroe criticized the current state of the doubles game, saying the standard of players is poor and the money would be better spent on struggling singles players. On Sunday, the 41-year-old Rafter said he would come out of more than a decade of retirement to play with Hewitt, although how far they go in the doubles draw might depend on how long Hewitt stays active in singles. The 32-year-old Hewitt plays his first-round singles match against No. 24 Andreas Seppi on Tuesday. Rafter hasnt played since Australias Davis Cup final loss to France in Melbourne in 2001. He and Hewitt, both two-time Grand Slam singles champions, were drawn to play American Eric Butorac and Raven Klaasen of South Africa in the first round of the doubles. Hewitt, when asked if there was a serious side to the doubles pairing, responded: "Not really. Just a bit of fun." "I think he still thinks hes got it in him, so... Hope I dont have to carry him too much," Hewitt added, smiling. "Hes hitting the ball well enough. Beat (Goran) Ivanisevic and (Tim) Henman and those guys over in the seniors tour." Rafter appeared to play down any long-range plans for the twosome. "Listen, nothing is happening just yet," Rafter said. "Were in the draw, but it will all depend on how he goes. Its really important for him to play great singles. Thats what its all about. "But Ill have fun. Im playing with one of the best players in the competition. Figure its like eating chocolate or having broccoli, sort of equal it out." McEnroe, despite having won 71 doubles titles, many of them with regular partner Peter Fleming, in addition to his 77 singles titles, was scathing in his criticism of doubles during a gathering in London during a Masters tournament in December. "If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game," McEnroe was quoted as saying. "Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles. Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me." The winning mens and womens doubles pairs at the Australian Open will each receive almost a half-million dollars. Rafter, who could split $12,000 with Hewitt even if they lose in the first round, was asked whether he had any concerns about passing a doping test in his comeback. "If theres a law, mate, against eating too much chocolate, Im in trouble," Rafter said. 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Stricker was replaced in the field by Ryo Ishikawa of Japan.DOHA, Qatar -- Rafael Nadal opened his 2014 campaign by winning his first title of the year in defeating Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-2 at the Qatar Open on Saturday. Nadal showed why hes the top player in the world all week long. Although he wasnt in top form in this first event of the season, he battled to win his 61st career title, one shy of Guillermo Vilas total, seventh on the all-time Open era list. "I think I played my best match of the season -- of the tournament -- today," Nadal said after the exciting, two-hour final. "I was happy with how I played." Of the five matches Nadal played this week he was taken the three-set distance three times: By Tobias Kamke in the second round, Peter Gojowczyk in the quarterfinals, and then by Monfils. "The important thing is that I had a chance to survive after very tough matches this week," he said. "And it was a tougher match against a tougher opponent in the final. "Its very exciting to start the year with a title." Nadal, who reached the championship match in Doha in 2010, has been in the final of 15 of his last 18 tournaments. Last year he won a career-high 10 titles. Nadal holds a 9-2 record against Monfils. The Frenchman previously won both of their meetings in Doha, in the 2009 quarterfinnals and 2012 semifinals.dddddddddddd The 31st-ranked Monfils has been in three Doha finals, but will again go home without the trophy. Hes appeared in 20 career finals, but won only four. "Rafa is strong, hitting hard the ball," Monfils said. "Its always tough to play against him, and at the end he was a bit better than me today." Nadal dominated the first set, taking it in just 23 minutes. Monfils managed to hold serve only in the sixth game. "If I play like I did in the first set Ill be very competitive in Melbourne," Nadal said of the upcoming Australian Open. In the second set it was all about Monfils to start, as the Frenchman could do no wrong en route to a 3-0 lead. Although Nadal recouped the service break in the seventh game when Monfils netted a backhand, he couldnt bypass the Frenchman in the tiebreaker. Nadal saved thee Monfils set points at 6-3 in the tiebreaker, but on the fourth Monfils nailed the set with an ace. In the third set, Nadal broke Monfils in the fourth game when the Frenchman shipped two forehands long from 30-30. Leading 3-1, Nadal saved four break points on his serve in the fifth game to take a 4-1 lead. Nadal broke serve again on a second match point in the final game when Monfils sailed a forehand long. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '