Life Partner Vs. Doubles Partner

So who knows the man best? The wife, or the long-time doubles partner? Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor, the reigning Roland Garros champions and No. 2 team in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race, started playing together long before they settled down with their life partners. But no-one really knows a man like his wife!

In our quest to find out who knows their partner best, DEUCE Magazine caught up with the Knowles and Nestors during the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati (Natasha Nestor participated by phone from Toronto.) We asked questions of Natasha Nestor and Mark Knowles to see who knew Canada's gold medallist the best. And we asked similar questions of Dawn Knowles (pictured above) and Daniel Nestor to see who best knew the Bahama's most famous sporting export.

We suspected that it would be a close call, but it seems that the wives know their men the best. While she may have slightly overstated his career singles victories (hey, we can't fault her for holding her husband in high esteem), Natasha Nestor had her husband locked in. And Dawn Knowles knew her husband incredibly well - a little too well for our liking :)

The Daniel Nestor File

What is the home page on his computer?
Natasha: www.msn.ca
Mark: www.yahoo.com
Daniel says: www.msn.ca

How old was Daniel when he moved from Yugoslavia to Canada?
Natasha: 4
Mark: 4
Daniel says: 4

What other sport he would like to play professionally?
Natasha: Baseball
Mark: American football. Definitely not golf. 
Daniel says:I like to watch football the best, but it's so unrealistic for me to play it. I'd get killed. But if it's a wish, it could be any of ice hockey, baseball, football or basketball. According to my body, the most realistic would be baseball.

Career after tennis?
Natasha: Working with Tennis Canada
Mark: Tennis Canada and Davis Cup captain... or flippin' burgers at McDonald's
Daniel says:Running the national program for the Canadian Federation. 

What is Daniel's career singles record and his highest singles ranking?
Natasha: 100(wins)-150(losses) and No. 58
Mark: I'd say 95-82 and No. 56
Daniel says: 85-118 and No. 58

Childhood tennis hero?
Natasha: Jimmy Connors
Mark: Jimmy Connors
Daniel says: Jimmy Connors

Three people he'd like to invite to dinner?
Natasha: Bill Gates, Hines Ward, Pamela Anderson
Mark: Jessica Simpson (for the conversation), Jessica Alba and Denise Richards
Daniel says: Guy Lafleur (ice hockey), George Clooney, Doctor J (basketball star Julius Erving)

The Mark Knowles File

What is the home page on his computer?
Dawn: www.apple.com
Daniel: www.aol.com
Mark says:www.apple.com

Mark's favorite thing to do with young son Graham?
Dawn: Swimming, hitting tennis balls
Daniel: Feeding the horses in his backyard
Mark says: Swimming

Sport he wishes he could play professionally other than tennis?
Dawn: Baseball for the Yankees
Daniel: Baseball
Mark says: Baseball

Career after tennis?
Dawn: Real estate or tennis commentator
Daniel: Real estate agent (high-end homes only!) Or street performer/shoe shiner. 
Mark says: President of a Fortune 500 company (Knowles laughing). Real estate

What is Mark's career singles record and his highest singles ranking?
Dawn: 50 wins and No. 96
Daniel: 50-75 and No. 96
Mark says: 42-77 and No. 96

Childhood tennis hero?
Dawn: Bjorn Borg
Daniel: Bjorn Borg
Mark says: Bjorn Borg

Three people he'd like to invite to dinner?
Dawn: Derek Jeter, Joe Montana, Ernie Els
Daniel: Derek Jeter, Joe Montana, Kobe Bryant
Mark says: Derek Jetter, Joe Montana, Ernie Els

Footnote: Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor will play with different partners in the Fall: Knowles will team with India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Nestor with Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic. Knowles and Nestor, who were the No. 2 team in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race after the US Open, will re-unite for the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in November