Round 1.

Rnd 1. Home Match

First thing to note, weather was terrible, wind blowing gustily from the S/E which is totally bizarro in my part of the world. We always get a wind from the west in the afternoons, so often we take it for granted. So from a court set up it is blowing diagonally from SE corner to NW corner.

Lined up to play against an opponent who used to play in the "premier league" level in our state about 15 years ago then he had about a 10 year hiatus and now he is back again for the last few years, obviously not back to the level he once was. He is notorious for being fit and solid in all catagories, yet spectacular in none. Basically you gotta earn your wins against him. I have never played him but played his club on numerous occasions.

Game Plan : well it never changes so I will get it out of the way first up, I play tennis on my terms, I S&V and I hit aggressively, I also miss a tonne of returns so players do not get much rhythm out of me.

I win the toss to my relief, I'll take the serve every time thanks, I like to lead from the front and never look back, I like to have that "3" game break on the scoreboard just by breaking once in the set. Psychology of tennis is one area of the game I take great interest in. He chooses the wind in his back to return, my analysis : he knows my serve is my weapon and he wants a crack at breaking me into the breeze first up.

For the first few games it couldn't be more typical tennis from me, random serving, solid low volleying and about 25% of returns being made. He starts out S&V and I am taking huge pot shots at passes and missing by miles. A few (read 3) net tapes on some pick ups give blessing to me holding serve thru the set (including one on break point down). I am 99% sure I didnt even have a break point first set. I play the TB really solid, made more returns, plenty on his toes, he misses a few returns and voila 7-3 to me.

Nothing much changes til 2-2 in the second, I float a high defensive ball from the end with the wind behind me and when it lands i see a little puff of chalk, OUT is the call, I raise an eyebrow and he claims "long, hit some chalk behind the line" I stand puzzled but move on, it happens. He holds, we swap and I walk down and inspect said line and no sign of any chalk spots outside the court. Can't say anything now, its too late and I tell myself to forget it and move on, its just one point if there wasn't chalk I would have accepted the out call anyway. Unfortunately with a little distraction I manage to lose serve, now I'm angry that I lost serve and for losing concentration despite trying not to and the idea that he might have hooked me still making my blood boil a little.

A few screams and plenty of self-depricating foul language has me off kilter for the next few games. He holds easily and I'm serving at 2 - 5. With the breeze I manage the hold, he starts getting edgy too, having thrown his racquet at least once and belted a ball at least once, the two of us are starting to really setting some electric tension. He has been gawking at some of my shots that I have suddenly started to make now we are an hour into the match, sure I was missing a heap first set but there is a reason I am at the level I am at, I'm not a bad player! Anyways he holds at 5-3 for the set and I concede a struggle in the third.

Given his notorious fitness and my body struggling already, I feel the momentum might just swell over me and i might get rolled in this final set. Thank heavens I am serving first. I start off at the north end, thus I am into the breeze. My first serve has been terrible all day, very low percentage and I feel all out of rhythm, no timing, no accuracy, this is brutal as its the backbone of my tennis existence. Luckily my second serve has been very faithful and solid without being spectacular, control is reasonable but kick is barely to be seen, just two doubles for the first two sets so can't complain too much.

I could not for the life of me formulate a plan on the deuce side into the breeze, it was slowing down my slider wide which meant he could pummel a FH down the line and breeze brought it around me. I couldn't hit a single bomb down the T either so I felt happless on that side. The Ad side I resorted to throwing in heavy kickers wide which when aided by the slight cross breeze put him out of court and I was just knocking volleys CC for easy points. After holding at 2-2 on yet another CC volley that died on the grass he came screaming fwd and when he dumped his pass in to the net he hurled his racquet down the line and being that I was in volley position it was rather close to my head. I said "Jesus Christ" and he said "It was nowhere near you" and my reply was "but still.. come on".

A couple more holds here and there and its 4 - 3 and I get on a roll and its 0 - 40, 3 chances to almost seal the deal. We have about a 6 shot rally involving mainly slice backhands cross court and I decide I'm gonna rip it down the line for an emphatic break, I miss the court by 3 metres. My head rolls back and I scream as my brain freeze kills me. I lose the next two points still cursing myself for choosing such a stupid shot and we get into a deuce - ad, deuce - ad stand off, 4 break points later I manage not to win the game. Somebody give me a gun I wanna shoot myself in the foot some more.

When I hold serve again after some more into the wind, can't seem to win a deuce side point antics he tosses his racquet in frustration and it lands about a metre from a parked car but luckily bounces back towards him. Officially a nutter. Anyways after some more serve holds we hit the TB again.

Mindset : play aggressive, win the match, don't wait for him to lose it. My returns had been better when I was swinging rather then chipping, his serve wasn't coming thru at a pace I couldn't handle but whether it was nerves or deisre for safety I kept chipping returns. First point, solid serve, no return. Second and third points, no real chance for me just solid points from him. Another standard point from me and it's 2 -2, a good return at my feet and a half volley into the net gives him the mini break. My thoughts, "go round at 3-3" his response a double fault. He makes a nice volley behind me with the breeze on the next point and I lose my first serve point. I'm down 3 - 5, serving to the side I have been struggling with all day. Serve to the backhand, knock a volley into the open court and he throws up a short lob on the backhand side, the BH smash I am comfortable with and everyone moves CC since most people can't hit the BH smash DTL, I can and I do. PHEW! 4 - 5. Gotta make the returns. With sheer amazement I take the next two points, he explodes, launches a ball over the fence and into the carpark. We only play with two balls so I have to wait for my team-mate to go fetch it and throw it back.

6 - 5, serving into the breeze, my heavy kick wide and open court volley had worked for me all day, the only time I remember it not working was one that he nailed DTL in the corner and another he dropped a short lob that let bounce and with the low grass bounce i misjudged it and missed it long. He hadn't found a way to stop me so I had to go with it, predictable ? no doubt, can you find a way to beat it on match point? good luck.

Wide serve, cover the line, punchy BH return, CC FH volley, running FH pass into the middle of the net...game set & match. Racquet launch...nearly hits teammates, you idiot.

W : 7/6, 3/6, 7/6

Evalution : winning without playing well is priceless, serve was terrible and will need some work asap, returning was not as bad, needs confidence and self belief. Passing shots were terrible, need to find someone who wants S&V practice so I can take some pot shots. Volleys were solid, fitness is telling, I'm still hurting 28 hours later.

TTDL :
- find serve rhythm
- try to drive more returns and be positive
- stretch before and after match

until next time... tennis has a unique scoring system, I would have lost on points, I did lose on games, but I won the match. You just never know...turn one point into the four needed to make a game, take that one game into the six needed for a set.