Sets 203-205:
Stuart vs. C. at The Quarries. Winner: Stuart 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
My Mojo: Strong Focus Weakened Briefly, Then Came Back.
It's been an intense day. This was the third match that I played today that went three sets. So I played a total of nine sets today, and thirteen over the weekend. I felt pretty good starting out the match. I was a little sore, but well recovered from the loss of energy at the end of the second match I played earlier, as I had plenty of time to rest up.
As I started the match, in the warmup and in the first set, I was hitting really well. I was getting in a decent number of winners in the first set, and controlling most of the rallies. It seemed pretty easy to pull my opponent out of position and then shoot off a missile to an area that there was no way he could get to. Many of those shots were extreme angle shots, too, which is not usually part of my plan, but which I tried out with good effect. Most of my first serves were strong and well-placed and allowed me to keep control of the games that I served.
In the second set, my focus seemed to drift a little. I stopped getting in as many of my first serves, and the placement of my serves was not as devastating. My opponent was more successful during this set in winning by pulling me off position and then shooting to my blind side. I dropped behind early in the set and never recovered, though I did rally at the and to take a couple of games before he finally won the set.
In the third set, my focus seemed to come back. Actully, I think it came back toward the end of the second set, but it was too late; I already had pretty much lost that one. I was able to think through my strategy more and made less errors than I had made in the second set. I also benefitted from a number of shots he hit that were just outside the line and barely out, though I don't think this was the deciding factor. I won the third set with a more lopsided score, though some of the games were close and some were blowouts.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Two Really Tough Matches
Sets 197-199:
Stuart vs. D. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).
My Mojo: Ready To Dig In And Play Tough, Calmer Toward The End.
Sets 200-202:
Stuart vs. C. at Anderson High. Winner: C. 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
My Mojo: Started Out Strong, But Ran Out Of Gas.
Man, it's been an intense day. And I still have another match tonight. I set one match at 8:30 in the morning, and another one at noon, thinking that I would have plenty of time to recover between them. But the morning match end up finishing up around 11:50, whereupon I had to rush like crazy to the next match, which also lasted three sets, but didn't take nearly as long.
All three sets of the first match were long and grueling. Any of these sets could have gone the other way based on the outcome of just a handful of shots, and the rallies were mostly pretty long too. All in all, the match took over three hours to complete. I felt like I was getting some good shots in, and many of my shots were going deep and hard, but he was running just about everything down and returning tough shots with good placement on the run.
In the third set, I was down 5-2, and I just kind of let go. I thought to myself that whatever happens, happens, and whether I won or lost, I would just play and try for the best shots, footwork, and placement that I could come up with. As I lifted the burden of winning, I began to play much more solidly. I won the next three games to tie at 5-5. Then he won the next game to take it to 6-5,and I won again to bring the set into a tiebreaker. I was up 6-0 in the tiebreaker as he won the next two points, but I took the next one to win the set and the match.
I had to pack up my stuff in a hurry and rush out, because I only had ten minutes to get to the next match. I had forgotten my calendar at home, and all I remembered was that Anderson High was at the corner of Mesa and Steck. I had never been to that location, so I took the Steck exit from Mopac, and took a guess (a correct one, luckily) that Mesa was west of Mopac. I got there about five minutes late, and my opponent was waiting. I apologized for my lateness and explained that I had just played another match that went down to the wire; he didn't seem upset or anything. I guess five minutes is not a huge amount to be late.
In the first set of the second match, it was obvious that he had some really big strokes, but he was rusty, so he made a lot of errors. I wasn't really tired when the set started, and was ready to go and running around a lot. What hurt him was a little too many errors and a lot of double-faults. I did get in a few decent shots, but I can't say it was my brilliant play that won this set. It was mostly his errors that lost it.
In the second set, he was ramping up his game and making less errors, while I was tiring out. Though he still double-faulted a lot, it seemed to be a lot less in the second set, and even less in the third set. He was coming up with some really powerful stuff, pulling me wide and then slamming down some winners that I could not get to. He also got me on a few drop shots after pulling me deep.
In the third set, I had just about no energy left. I was about five hours into playing for the day, with hardly any rest. I was not recovering to where I should on the court, I was not reacting quick enough, and I was not moving my feet or bending my knees as much as I should have. And his shots kept getting bigger and his confidence kept rising. He had told me at the beginning of the third set that he didn't think my odds were good, since his serve was coming back, and it was my sixth set of the day. I agreed with him that I didn't think my odds were good, but told him I would stick it out anyway. I only won one game, and though there were some games where we went back and forth from deuce to ad, most of them were lopsided games in which he got all of the points and shut me out. I went home after this match and took a hot bath.
Stuart vs. D. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).
My Mojo: Ready To Dig In And Play Tough, Calmer Toward The End.
Sets 200-202:
Stuart vs. C. at Anderson High. Winner: C. 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
My Mojo: Started Out Strong, But Ran Out Of Gas.
Man, it's been an intense day. And I still have another match tonight. I set one match at 8:30 in the morning, and another one at noon, thinking that I would have plenty of time to recover between them. But the morning match end up finishing up around 11:50, whereupon I had to rush like crazy to the next match, which also lasted three sets, but didn't take nearly as long.
All three sets of the first match were long and grueling. Any of these sets could have gone the other way based on the outcome of just a handful of shots, and the rallies were mostly pretty long too. All in all, the match took over three hours to complete. I felt like I was getting some good shots in, and many of my shots were going deep and hard, but he was running just about everything down and returning tough shots with good placement on the run.
In the third set, I was down 5-2, and I just kind of let go. I thought to myself that whatever happens, happens, and whether I won or lost, I would just play and try for the best shots, footwork, and placement that I could come up with. As I lifted the burden of winning, I began to play much more solidly. I won the next three games to tie at 5-5. Then he won the next game to take it to 6-5,and I won again to bring the set into a tiebreaker. I was up 6-0 in the tiebreaker as he won the next two points, but I took the next one to win the set and the match.
I had to pack up my stuff in a hurry and rush out, because I only had ten minutes to get to the next match. I had forgotten my calendar at home, and all I remembered was that Anderson High was at the corner of Mesa and Steck. I had never been to that location, so I took the Steck exit from Mopac, and took a guess (a correct one, luckily) that Mesa was west of Mopac. I got there about five minutes late, and my opponent was waiting. I apologized for my lateness and explained that I had just played another match that went down to the wire; he didn't seem upset or anything. I guess five minutes is not a huge amount to be late.
In the first set of the second match, it was obvious that he had some really big strokes, but he was rusty, so he made a lot of errors. I wasn't really tired when the set started, and was ready to go and running around a lot. What hurt him was a little too many errors and a lot of double-faults. I did get in a few decent shots, but I can't say it was my brilliant play that won this set. It was mostly his errors that lost it.
In the second set, he was ramping up his game and making less errors, while I was tiring out. Though he still double-faulted a lot, it seemed to be a lot less in the second set, and even less in the third set. He was coming up with some really powerful stuff, pulling me wide and then slamming down some winners that I could not get to. He also got me on a few drop shots after pulling me deep.
In the third set, I had just about no energy left. I was about five hours into playing for the day, with hardly any rest. I was not recovering to where I should on the court, I was not reacting quick enough, and I was not moving my feet or bending my knees as much as I should have. And his shots kept getting bigger and his confidence kept rising. He had told me at the beginning of the third set that he didn't think my odds were good, since his serve was coming back, and it was my sixth set of the day. I agreed with him that I didn't think my odds were good, but told him I would stick it out anyway. I only won one game, and though there were some games where we went back and forth from deuce to ad, most of them were lopsided games in which he got all of the points and shut me out. I went home after this match and took a hot bath.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Stifling Heat And Humidity
Sets 195-196:
Stuart vs. D. at NW Park. Winner: Stuart 7-6(2), 6-1.
My Mojo: A Little Less Sick Than He Was.
It was incredibly hot and humid. It's hard to believe that it's only April; imagine what it would be like in August! I was wishing that I had brought a cooler full of ice to dump into a towel and put on my face on the changeovers. I guess I need to start doing that.
In the first set, we played mostly tit-for-tat, keeping pace with each others' wins and losses throughout the set, to take it to a tiebreaker. Both of use were playing really tough and not yielding much. But I was able to dominate the tiebreaker and win 7-2.
The heat started getting to both of us in the second set. I was feeling sick to my stomach, and he was just seriously woozy. He could just not keep up the play at all, and after he won one game near the beginning of the set, I won all of them after that pretty easily. Though I felt sick, I usually play pretty well when I am feeling sick, and this was no exception. When I get sick, my shot placement often somehow becomes better to make up for the fact that I can't run as much.
After the match, he nearly collapsed on the court. He was laying on his back moaning. I tuck around for a little while to make sure he was all right. He insisted that he was OK, but seeing him laying on the court, I told him that I would hate to leave and see him on the evening news later. I stuck around long enough to make sure that he was able to get up and got to my car and sat in the air conditioning to recover from my own heat sickness.
Stuart vs. D. at NW Park. Winner: Stuart 7-6(2), 6-1.
My Mojo: A Little Less Sick Than He Was.
It was incredibly hot and humid. It's hard to believe that it's only April; imagine what it would be like in August! I was wishing that I had brought a cooler full of ice to dump into a towel and put on my face on the changeovers. I guess I need to start doing that.
In the first set, we played mostly tit-for-tat, keeping pace with each others' wins and losses throughout the set, to take it to a tiebreaker. Both of use were playing really tough and not yielding much. But I was able to dominate the tiebreaker and win 7-2.
The heat started getting to both of us in the second set. I was feeling sick to my stomach, and he was just seriously woozy. He could just not keep up the play at all, and after he won one game near the beginning of the set, I won all of them after that pretty easily. Though I felt sick, I usually play pretty well when I am feeling sick, and this was no exception. When I get sick, my shot placement often somehow becomes better to make up for the fact that I can't run as much.
After the match, he nearly collapsed on the court. He was laying on his back moaning. I tuck around for a little while to make sure he was all right. He insisted that he was OK, but seeing him laying on the court, I told him that I would hate to leave and see him on the evening news later. I stuck around long enough to make sure that he was able to get up and got to my car and sat in the air conditioning to recover from my own heat sickness.
Playing With A Full Deck
Sets 193-194:
Stuart vs. P. at Austin High. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-2.
My Mojo: Above-Average.
It was major muggy outside today. Not too hot, but just hot enough to make me build up a huge sweat from not much exertion, so I was dripping with goo early on. P. had a serve that didn't have much of a back swing and just utilixed sort of a quick snapping motion rather than a big swing and follow-through. I've seen people who serve like this before, and their serve can be surprisingly powerful, which it was for P., even though there was so little motion involved. However, the serve was fairly erratic and he got very few first serves in. The ones he did get in, I got to pretty easily, though he did ace me once. He also double-faulted a lot, and his second serve tended to be not very hard or deep, so I was able to get up to net a lot after his second serve after returning some approach shots that put him off-balance. I got a lot of points that way. My serve was pretty decent and I felt I had good placement and power.
In the first set, I took all of the games pretty easily. He had some good shots, but I was opearting with a full deck, so I was getting them back pretty well, and taking many of the points through strategic moves. I was easily on the offense, and only rarely had to defend. The first set went by pretty quickly.
In the second set, his game ramped up quite a bit. Many of the games were pretty close, and the first game of the set (the first one that he won,breaking my serve) was fairly long, going back and forth from deuce to ad many times with substantial rallies that he managed to edge me out on during key points. So he started out the set 1-0. I managed to win the next five games to bring the score up to 5-1. He put up a good fight in the next game, and beat me all four points of the game, to bring the score up to 5-2. I came back and won the next game, and won the match.
Stuart vs. P. at Austin High. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 6-2.
My Mojo: Above-Average.
It was major muggy outside today. Not too hot, but just hot enough to make me build up a huge sweat from not much exertion, so I was dripping with goo early on. P. had a serve that didn't have much of a back swing and just utilixed sort of a quick snapping motion rather than a big swing and follow-through. I've seen people who serve like this before, and their serve can be surprisingly powerful, which it was for P., even though there was so little motion involved. However, the serve was fairly erratic and he got very few first serves in. The ones he did get in, I got to pretty easily, though he did ace me once. He also double-faulted a lot, and his second serve tended to be not very hard or deep, so I was able to get up to net a lot after his second serve after returning some approach shots that put him off-balance. I got a lot of points that way. My serve was pretty decent and I felt I had good placement and power.
In the first set, I took all of the games pretty easily. He had some good shots, but I was opearting with a full deck, so I was getting them back pretty well, and taking many of the points through strategic moves. I was easily on the offense, and only rarely had to defend. The first set went by pretty quickly.
In the second set, his game ramped up quite a bit. Many of the games were pretty close, and the first game of the set (the first one that he won,breaking my serve) was fairly long, going back and forth from deuce to ad many times with substantial rallies that he managed to edge me out on during key points. So he started out the set 1-0. I managed to win the next five games to bring the score up to 5-1. He put up a good fight in the next game, and beat me all four points of the game, to bring the score up to 5-2. I came back and won the next game, and won the match.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Stepping Into The Path Of A Moving Train
Sets 189-192:
Stuart vs. S. at his Apts. Winner: S. 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
My Mojo: Solid, But Not Good Enough.
I felt like I was playing some of the best tennis I had played in months for this match, but I still could not pull off a win, or even a close result. I did get a little demoralized in the second and third sets, but managed to bring my mental state back for the fourth set, where I though I played the best I had played all night, though my opponent thought my first set was my best play. Throughout the entire match, I played with more offense than I usually played against S., as I am usually forced into playing defensively with his type of game. But though my shots were phenomenal, his were miraculous. He consistently got to shots that I never thought he would get to, and even though out of place and off-balance, returned them with precision, often with winners.
In the first set, I was throwing everything I had into the mix. But I was trying just a little too hard. My shots were phenomenal, and I got more winners than I usually do, but he was just throwing back a wall of lightning at me. When I got a really good shot across, he returned it with an even better shot. I lost many points that I had absolute control over just by trying a little too hard for the winner. Some of my overheads that I tried to hit at an angle went a little wide, and some of my lobs went a little long because I didn't put enough spin on them. But he got most of my lobs with great overheads, too, if they got in. In past matches, he had been luring me into the net so he could get take control of the point and keep me off-balance, and he didn't seem to be able to do that as much during this match.
In the second and third sets, I became frustrated by my inability to break through in the first set. Still, it didn't affect my play too much. What happened mostly was that his level of play increased tremendously, and there was almost nothing I could pull out to win a game. In each set, I did manage to muster enough strategy to win one game, but the rest were just lost as I got seriously outplayed. His backhands were getting almost flawless, and almost indistinguishable from shots used by the pros as he uncoiled with precision and slapped the ball with ferocious intensity just over the net. The topspin that he got on his backhand made the ball pop up so high that it was hard to get that waist-high return, and I was returning a lot of them a little out of my comfort zone. I was afraid to move too far behind the baseline to get to a more comfortable return spot, because I knew if I did that, I would start getting drop shots and short angles.
The apex of my frustration was probably the last half of the third set. I managed to infuse myself with some relative calm for the fourth set, and this was the set that I thought I had played the best. My offensive play was at its maximum during this set. My shots were technically more solid, and my footwork was more precise. Usually I don't come back mentally this well from frustration, and I was happy that I had done so, even though he was playing so well that there was just no way I was going to break through that. S. told me that his level of play had been very high against most of the players he had played lately, and that he had reached lopsided scores against just about everybody he had recently played. Playing against him was like tonight was like stepping into the path of a moving train. I did get frustrated again on the last point of the four sets, as I hit one of the worst flubs I had hit all night to lose the last set. I tossed my racquet into the net, and it bounced over. Once again, immediately I felt sheepish at this display of frustration, and calmed down some.
The pain of my finger was bothering me, but not enough to affect my play or my mood too much. At the end of the match, though, I had to peel my fingers off of my racquet carefully, and I had to shake hands again with my left hand. I still cannot play the piano or type with my right middle finger, as I can't bear weight through the tip. But lateral incidental movements with the rest of the hand seem to be working decently.
Stuart vs. S. at his Apts. Winner: S. 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
My Mojo: Solid, But Not Good Enough.
I felt like I was playing some of the best tennis I had played in months for this match, but I still could not pull off a win, or even a close result. I did get a little demoralized in the second and third sets, but managed to bring my mental state back for the fourth set, where I though I played the best I had played all night, though my opponent thought my first set was my best play. Throughout the entire match, I played with more offense than I usually played against S., as I am usually forced into playing defensively with his type of game. But though my shots were phenomenal, his were miraculous. He consistently got to shots that I never thought he would get to, and even though out of place and off-balance, returned them with precision, often with winners.
In the first set, I was throwing everything I had into the mix. But I was trying just a little too hard. My shots were phenomenal, and I got more winners than I usually do, but he was just throwing back a wall of lightning at me. When I got a really good shot across, he returned it with an even better shot. I lost many points that I had absolute control over just by trying a little too hard for the winner. Some of my overheads that I tried to hit at an angle went a little wide, and some of my lobs went a little long because I didn't put enough spin on them. But he got most of my lobs with great overheads, too, if they got in. In past matches, he had been luring me into the net so he could get take control of the point and keep me off-balance, and he didn't seem to be able to do that as much during this match.
In the second and third sets, I became frustrated by my inability to break through in the first set. Still, it didn't affect my play too much. What happened mostly was that his level of play increased tremendously, and there was almost nothing I could pull out to win a game. In each set, I did manage to muster enough strategy to win one game, but the rest were just lost as I got seriously outplayed. His backhands were getting almost flawless, and almost indistinguishable from shots used by the pros as he uncoiled with precision and slapped the ball with ferocious intensity just over the net. The topspin that he got on his backhand made the ball pop up so high that it was hard to get that waist-high return, and I was returning a lot of them a little out of my comfort zone. I was afraid to move too far behind the baseline to get to a more comfortable return spot, because I knew if I did that, I would start getting drop shots and short angles.
The apex of my frustration was probably the last half of the third set. I managed to infuse myself with some relative calm for the fourth set, and this was the set that I thought I had played the best. My offensive play was at its maximum during this set. My shots were technically more solid, and my footwork was more precise. Usually I don't come back mentally this well from frustration, and I was happy that I had done so, even though he was playing so well that there was just no way I was going to break through that. S. told me that his level of play had been very high against most of the players he had played lately, and that he had reached lopsided scores against just about everybody he had recently played. Playing against him was like tonight was like stepping into the path of a moving train. I did get frustrated again on the last point of the four sets, as I hit one of the worst flubs I had hit all night to lose the last set. I tossed my racquet into the net, and it bounced over. Once again, immediately I felt sheepish at this display of frustration, and calmed down some.
The pain of my finger was bothering me, but not enough to affect my play or my mood too much. At the end of the match, though, I had to peel my fingers off of my racquet carefully, and I had to shake hands again with my left hand. I still cannot play the piano or type with my right middle finger, as I can't bear weight through the tip. But lateral incidental movements with the rest of the hand seem to be working decently.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
New Website For Pharr
I just set up a new website for Pharr Tennis Center. I had been telling the head coach at Pharr for some time that I could help them set up a website, and he finally took me up on it. The website is at http://www.pharrtc.com. I've been working on it for the last couple of weeks and it is finally up with most of the info that it needs to have on it. So y'all drop on by.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Hard To Concentrate Through The Pain
Sets 187-188:
Stuart vs. K. at Northwest Park. Winner: K. 6-4, 6-2.
My Mojo: In Serious Pain.
Ouch. My finger was killing me throughout this entire match. Every time I hit the ball, searing pain shot through my hand. It was hard to concentrate on my shots and placement, though I did manage to win a few games.
This guy's style was a lot like mine, only he played better than I did. He varied pace a lot and moved me around the court like crazy. Now I see why some people get so frustrated with my style. It was hard for me to follow. During the first match, I kept pace with him for the first three games, but after the score got to 3-3, I lost the rest of the games in the match. I simply could not keep from making too many errors due to my lack of concentration.
In the second set, the pain was making me really frustrated, and I just could not get a toehold in the match. I was down 4-1, but managed to win one more. On the last point in the set, I threw my racquet in the grass next to the court out of frustration, but calmed down immediately. I had to put out my left hand for him to shake, because I didn't think my hurt finger on my right hand could tolerate a handshake. I went home and immobilized my hand with popsicle sticks and an ace bandage.
Stuart vs. K. at Northwest Park. Winner: K. 6-4, 6-2.
My Mojo: In Serious Pain.
Ouch. My finger was killing me throughout this entire match. Every time I hit the ball, searing pain shot through my hand. It was hard to concentrate on my shots and placement, though I did manage to win a few games.
This guy's style was a lot like mine, only he played better than I did. He varied pace a lot and moved me around the court like crazy. Now I see why some people get so frustrated with my style. It was hard for me to follow. During the first match, I kept pace with him for the first three games, but after the score got to 3-3, I lost the rest of the games in the match. I simply could not keep from making too many errors due to my lack of concentration.
In the second set, the pain was making me really frustrated, and I just could not get a toehold in the match. I was down 4-1, but managed to win one more. On the last point in the set, I threw my racquet in the grass next to the court out of frustration, but calmed down immediately. I had to put out my left hand for him to shake, because I didn't think my hurt finger on my right hand could tolerate a handshake. I went home and immobilized my hand with popsicle sticks and an ace bandage.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Not Quite There, And A Mysterious Finger Injury
Sets 184-186:
Stuart vs. E. at Austin High. Winner: E. 6-3.7-6(4), 7-5.
My Mojo: Not Quite.
I felt like I played reasonably well today, but not as well as I could have. My focus was a little bit diffuse and I was giving him opportunities for really good shots. The first set was the one that I felt I played the best even though it had the lowest score. The closeness of the games just didn't get reflected in the score and we had some really good rallies. Also I hit more winners in the first set. It drizzled a tiny bit during the first set, but never quite reached the critical mass of moisture on the court that forced us to stop playing.
In the second set, I didn't feel like I was quite playing as well, though we got to a tiebreak. Late in the second set, I slipped and fell on my left hand. But I did something with my right hand (I have no idea what) that injured my right pinky pretty badly. I either broke it or sprained it and afterwards I had a lot of pain when I moved my hand. My opponent mentioned to me that I should get some better shoes, and I looked down and realized for the first time that I had put on the wrong pair of shoes! I was wearing my running shoes instead of my tennis shoes.
My opponent asked me if I wanted to play a third set, and I agreed. I played OK, but not as well as he did, and he won the set. We finished just in time, as about a minute after we quit playing, it started sprinkling, but heavily enough that the courts soon became too wet for other players to continue playing.
Stuart vs. E. at Austin High. Winner: E. 6-3.7-6(4), 7-5.
My Mojo: Not Quite.
I felt like I played reasonably well today, but not as well as I could have. My focus was a little bit diffuse and I was giving him opportunities for really good shots. The first set was the one that I felt I played the best even though it had the lowest score. The closeness of the games just didn't get reflected in the score and we had some really good rallies. Also I hit more winners in the first set. It drizzled a tiny bit during the first set, but never quite reached the critical mass of moisture on the court that forced us to stop playing.
In the second set, I didn't feel like I was quite playing as well, though we got to a tiebreak. Late in the second set, I slipped and fell on my left hand. But I did something with my right hand (I have no idea what) that injured my right pinky pretty badly. I either broke it or sprained it and afterwards I had a lot of pain when I moved my hand. My opponent mentioned to me that I should get some better shoes, and I looked down and realized for the first time that I had put on the wrong pair of shoes! I was wearing my running shoes instead of my tennis shoes.
My opponent asked me if I wanted to play a third set, and I agreed. I played OK, but not as well as he did, and he won the set. We finished just in time, as about a minute after we quit playing, it started sprinkling, but heavily enough that the courts soon became too wet for other players to continue playing.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Energy Rising
Sets 182-183:
Stuart vs. I. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 7-6(3), 6-3.
My Mojo: Cautious But Steady.
Woo-hoo! I'm halfway to my goal of playing 365 sets. I figured I would make it this month. I am hoping to get to at least 190 by the end of the month and I ought to be able to do that.
Both of us ran each other around a lot in this match. It was not terribly hot, but it was humid enough to be stifling, so I was perspiring profusely. And it seemed hotter because of the humidity. I took an early lead, but then he caught up, and then I caught up, and then we kept pace to get to a tiebreak. Neither of us could really break out until I won the tiebreak. It seemed like he was playing sloppily, and then he tightened up just in time for me to start getting sloppy, and vice versa back and forth. But I was able to get in good shots and strategy during the timebreak, and minimize my errors.
In the second set, I kept ahead for most of the set. It was still very tough play, though. I wouldn't discount this guy beating me in another match because he played well. I was able to keep my errors low and play with good strategy, and I was rising in energy and enthusiasm throughout the match, rather than diminishing and burning out. I think that helped me win.
Stuart vs. I. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 7-6(3), 6-3.
My Mojo: Cautious But Steady.
Woo-hoo! I'm halfway to my goal of playing 365 sets. I figured I would make it this month. I am hoping to get to at least 190 by the end of the month and I ought to be able to do that.
Both of us ran each other around a lot in this match. It was not terribly hot, but it was humid enough to be stifling, so I was perspiring profusely. And it seemed hotter because of the humidity. I took an early lead, but then he caught up, and then I caught up, and then we kept pace to get to a tiebreak. Neither of us could really break out until I won the tiebreak. It seemed like he was playing sloppily, and then he tightened up just in time for me to start getting sloppy, and vice versa back and forth. But I was able to get in good shots and strategy during the timebreak, and minimize my errors.
In the second set, I kept ahead for most of the set. It was still very tough play, though. I wouldn't discount this guy beating me in another match because he played well. I was able to keep my errors low and play with good strategy, and I was rising in energy and enthusiasm throughout the match, rather than diminishing and burning out. I think that helped me win.
Friday, April 20, 2007
My Focus Blurred For A Little While, But I Did What I Needed To Do
Sets 180-181:
Stuart vs. A. at the Quarries. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-3.
My Mojo: Average
I showed up a few minutes early and there was one court open, so I was able to hold it. My opponent was about twenty minutes late. I was going to give it another five minutes or so, but as she came up to the courts, I was glad that she showed up so we could play. I don't like it when an opponent does not show up, but luckily that has only happened a few times.
I didn't seem to get many spectacular shots happening here, but I got shots across that did the job. Against a stronger player, I don't know if I would have pulled it out. But then again, I tend to tailor my play more to the opponent I am playing. So maybe I would have played differently against someone with more pace.
My opponent let out a loud cry every time she hit the ball. This was consistent throughout the warm-up and the match. At first, it was a little disconcerting to me, but I got used to it. I did notice some strange looks from other courts, though.
The first set was pretty straightforward and I managed to take an easy lead throughout the set. I didn't feel like I was putting a lot of effort into each shot or into my positioning on the court, and my strokes were smooth and simple. My opponent was doing a lot of running as I was able to plan my shots' placement to make her move. I did a little bit of moving, but didn't have to do much.
In the second set, I started playing much as I had in the first, and soon I was up 3-0. However, after this, I lost some focus, and my opponent also started coming back with more decent shots, so she won the next three games to bring it to 3-3. When my focus came back, I was able to win the next three games and win the match without much trouble.
Stuart vs. A. at the Quarries. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-3.
My Mojo: Average
I showed up a few minutes early and there was one court open, so I was able to hold it. My opponent was about twenty minutes late. I was going to give it another five minutes or so, but as she came up to the courts, I was glad that she showed up so we could play. I don't like it when an opponent does not show up, but luckily that has only happened a few times.
I didn't seem to get many spectacular shots happening here, but I got shots across that did the job. Against a stronger player, I don't know if I would have pulled it out. But then again, I tend to tailor my play more to the opponent I am playing. So maybe I would have played differently against someone with more pace.
My opponent let out a loud cry every time she hit the ball. This was consistent throughout the warm-up and the match. At first, it was a little disconcerting to me, but I got used to it. I did notice some strange looks from other courts, though.
The first set was pretty straightforward and I managed to take an easy lead throughout the set. I didn't feel like I was putting a lot of effort into each shot or into my positioning on the court, and my strokes were smooth and simple. My opponent was doing a lot of running as I was able to plan my shots' placement to make her move. I did a little bit of moving, but didn't have to do much.
In the second set, I started playing much as I had in the first, and soon I was up 3-0. However, after this, I lost some focus, and my opponent also started coming back with more decent shots, so she won the next three games to bring it to 3-3. When my focus came back, I was able to win the next three games and win the match without much trouble.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Under The Cheshire Cat Moon
Sets 178-179 (of 365):
Stuart vs. H. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-3, 6-4.
My Mojo: Steady.
There's a "Cheshire Cat Moon" out tonight. It looks just like a grin up in the sky, and the edges are pointing straight up instead of sideways. The weather is gorgeous; it was probably about 70 degrees when we played. In the first set, we kept pace for the first three games, though each of us broke each others' serve most of the time. My serve was giving me trouble through the first set, but I had tuned it up by the second set. After 3-3 in the first set, I broke out and won the next three games.
In the second set, he was up 2-0 at first, and then I came back and won the next five games. This wasn't the end, though, as he came back and won two more. I ended up taking the last game to win the set and the match.
I haven't been too motivated to write about my matches lately, so I am trying to get back into being more disciplined about it and write directly after the match. I think I will also try to wrap my mind around talking points during the matches, like I did when I first started this blog. I'm almost halfway done with my goal!
Stuart vs. H. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-3, 6-4.
My Mojo: Steady.
There's a "Cheshire Cat Moon" out tonight. It looks just like a grin up in the sky, and the edges are pointing straight up instead of sideways. The weather is gorgeous; it was probably about 70 degrees when we played. In the first set, we kept pace for the first three games, though each of us broke each others' serve most of the time. My serve was giving me trouble through the first set, but I had tuned it up by the second set. After 3-3 in the first set, I broke out and won the next three games.
In the second set, he was up 2-0 at first, and then I came back and won the next five games. This wasn't the end, though, as he came back and won two more. I ended up taking the last game to win the set and the match.
I haven't been too motivated to write about my matches lately, so I am trying to get back into being more disciplined about it and write directly after the match. I think I will also try to wrap my mind around talking points during the matches, like I did when I first started this blog. I'm almost halfway done with my goal!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Finally, I Played Well
Sets 175-177 (of 365):
Stuart vs. Q. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-0.
My Mojo: Decent
It has seemed like it has been a long time since my game has actually worked for me. I have won some matches, but even so, I've felt like my game is off. But in this match, I felt like I was hitting pretty well and I was using decent footwork.
In the first match, we were close all the way throughout the set. I lost the tiebreak as my game dissipated. But in the next two sets, I came back pretty strong and managed to win both of them pretty easily.
Stuart vs. Q. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-0.
My Mojo: Decent
It has seemed like it has been a long time since my game has actually worked for me. I have won some matches, but even so, I've felt like my game is off. But in this match, I felt like I was hitting pretty well and I was using decent footwork.
In the first match, we were close all the way throughout the set. I lost the tiebreak as my game dissipated. But in the next two sets, I came back pretty strong and managed to win both of them pretty easily.
Adaptation
Sets 172-174 (of 365):
Stuart vs. C. at McCallum High. Winner: Stuart 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Ready, But Tentative.
This guy tends to play with a lot of tricky spin that comes from what looks like off-balance positions. So he is hard to read as to where he is goind to aim the ball. I mostly just stayed back and tried to be as ready as possible for whatever would come across the net, and I tried to just return solidly. My play was mostly reactive to his play, but I wouldn't necessarily characterize it as defensive; I would consider it more as adaptive.
During the first two sets, the play was probably a little closer than the lopsided score suggested. There were a pretty good amount of games that got to repeated deuce/ad cycles. I seemed to be doing especially well when he served, as his serve was not only not too hard, but no too deep as well, so I was able to rush to net a lot early and command the points that way.
In the third set, he seemed like he had either lost interest or lost focus. I took most of the points, and it was a really fast set. He indicated that he probably should have stopped after the first two sets.
Stuart vs. C. at McCallum High. Winner: Stuart 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Ready, But Tentative.
This guy tends to play with a lot of tricky spin that comes from what looks like off-balance positions. So he is hard to read as to where he is goind to aim the ball. I mostly just stayed back and tried to be as ready as possible for whatever would come across the net, and I tried to just return solidly. My play was mostly reactive to his play, but I wouldn't necessarily characterize it as defensive; I would consider it more as adaptive.
During the first two sets, the play was probably a little closer than the lopsided score suggested. There were a pretty good amount of games that got to repeated deuce/ad cycles. I seemed to be doing especially well when he served, as his serve was not only not too hard, but no too deep as well, so I was able to rush to net a lot early and command the points that way.
In the third set, he seemed like he had either lost interest or lost focus. I took most of the points, and it was a really fast set. He indicated that he probably should have stopped after the first two sets.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Three Sets Of OK Play
Sets 169-171 (of 365):
Stuart vs. C. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-3, 6-0, 6-0
My Mojo: OK, But Nothing To Write Home About.
I just managed to stay in and win more points than my opponent did. There was nothing fancy about my play and nothing really spectacular happening. My opponent had a really hard but erratic first serve that only went in a small minority of the time. When they did go in, I managed to return them well. After we had played two sets, I asked him if he wanted to play another, and he agreed. He seemed a little burned out in the third set and indicated that he was done.
Stuart vs. C. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-3, 6-0, 6-0
My Mojo: OK, But Nothing To Write Home About.
I just managed to stay in and win more points than my opponent did. There was nothing fancy about my play and nothing really spectacular happening. My opponent had a really hard but erratic first serve that only went in a small minority of the time. When they did go in, I managed to return them well. After we had played two sets, I asked him if he wanted to play another, and he agreed. He seemed a little burned out in the third set and indicated that he was done.
Mad Max Takes Over
Sets 167-168 (of 365):
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: C. 6-3, 7-5.
My Mojo: Frustrated
In the first set, I was up 3-1 and lost 6-3. In the second set I was up 5-3 and lost 7-5. The only thing I was consistent in was in failing to convert advantages. I played decently at first in each set and then threw it away with poor play. I became angry at myself as this progressed in each set, and on the last point in the match, in which I shanked a shot with my racquet face completely facing the wrong way (many shots were hit like this) and hit the shot wide, I threw my racquet into the next court. Now that is an emotional low point for me. Must deal with my negative emotions better, or even better yet, play at a higher standard and avoid as much as possible generating negative emotions in the first place.
Stuart vs. C. at Westlake High. Winner: C. 6-3, 7-5.
My Mojo: Frustrated
In the first set, I was up 3-1 and lost 6-3. In the second set I was up 5-3 and lost 7-5. The only thing I was consistent in was in failing to convert advantages. I played decently at first in each set and then threw it away with poor play. I became angry at myself as this progressed in each set, and on the last point in the match, in which I shanked a shot with my racquet face completely facing the wrong way (many shots were hit like this) and hit the shot wide, I threw my racquet into the next court. Now that is an emotional low point for me. Must deal with my negative emotions better, or even better yet, play at a higher standard and avoid as much as possible generating negative emotions in the first place.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Hungry And Blowin' In The Wind
Sets 165-166 (of 365):
Stuart vs. D. at Northwest Park. Winner: D. 7-6(6), 6-4.
My Mojo: Scattered And Obtuse
Two bad signs started off this match. The first was that I has scheduled this match a half an hour after I got off work and barely had time to get there, but as soon as I got off work, I was ravenously hungry, but didn't have time to stop somewhere to get something to eat. So I was already bothered by the fact that I hadn't eaten since the morning, and was very low on energy. Between sets, I found a fiber bar in my backpack, and chowed it down, but what I needed was serious carbs for glycogen to my nuscles, and I didn't have that.
The other bad sign was that the wind was blowing really hard, and my hair was falling in my face, despite the fact that I had pulled it back into a ponytail. I searched for a headband on almost every changeover, hoping that I had packed one, but (crap) I hadn't. So my hair kept flying in my eyes. So from now on, I'll have a headband in my tennis backpack, no matter what.
This was a long and grueling match, and hard for me to play without fuel in my body. I was almost doomed from the start by that, and my opponent was playing really well. He was getting to shots that I never thought he would get to. And both of us were running all over the place. I was not handling this too bad, but I definitely felt the drop in percentage of effectiveness from the lack of nutrition. And my hair flying into my face was putting me in a really foul mood. Not to mention that I was also a little distracted by a couple of attractive females who were playing a few courts over.
But I don't mean to use any of this as an excuse. I just didn't bring what was needed to the courts on this day. The matches were hair-splittingly close most of the time, and I failed to convert advantages over and over again when I had them. In the first set's tiebreak, I was up 6-1 and lost all the subsequent points to lose 8-6. If that isn't a bad omen, I don't know what is. In the second set, I was ahead 2-0, then he caught up to 2-2. Then I was ahead 4-2 and he won all the rest of the games. So I just was not able to bring it in. My serve was adequate, but not great. My groundstrokes got the ball over, but did not place well strategically a good portion of the time. We had many games where there were really long rallies, and the match took almost two and a half hours to complete.
At the beginning of the second set, though, the clouds seemed to break for me, as my game came back to pre-injury levels for the first two games. That was a good sign because it was the first time since early March that I had played in a fashion where things were working well and flowing smoothly, even if just for two games. So it is coming back, as memory slowly comes back in fits and spurts to an amnesiac.
On the last point, I screamed out "FUCK!" as my intended shot went askew, and then immediately sheepishly apologized for the outburst. I had been cussing myself under my breath before that, and had been in a dark mood throughout the match. I remember when I started this series, thinking to myself that I wouldn't let this stuff affect me, and that I would just see it as a pleasant workout. Lately I've been getting too inside it, and I need to back off and figure out ways to be calmer in the face of adversity, and get back to just working on hitting the ball the best I can for every shot instead of wrestling with invisible demons.
I was planning to going to the group lesson at Pharr, but the match went longer than I expected, so I would have gotten there significantly late. And I was exhausted and out of fuel anyway. So I blew that off and went home to rest.
Stuart vs. D. at Northwest Park. Winner: D. 7-6(6), 6-4.
My Mojo: Scattered And Obtuse
Two bad signs started off this match. The first was that I has scheduled this match a half an hour after I got off work and barely had time to get there, but as soon as I got off work, I was ravenously hungry, but didn't have time to stop somewhere to get something to eat. So I was already bothered by the fact that I hadn't eaten since the morning, and was very low on energy. Between sets, I found a fiber bar in my backpack, and chowed it down, but what I needed was serious carbs for glycogen to my nuscles, and I didn't have that.
The other bad sign was that the wind was blowing really hard, and my hair was falling in my face, despite the fact that I had pulled it back into a ponytail. I searched for a headband on almost every changeover, hoping that I had packed one, but (crap) I hadn't. So my hair kept flying in my eyes. So from now on, I'll have a headband in my tennis backpack, no matter what.
This was a long and grueling match, and hard for me to play without fuel in my body. I was almost doomed from the start by that, and my opponent was playing really well. He was getting to shots that I never thought he would get to. And both of us were running all over the place. I was not handling this too bad, but I definitely felt the drop in percentage of effectiveness from the lack of nutrition. And my hair flying into my face was putting me in a really foul mood. Not to mention that I was also a little distracted by a couple of attractive females who were playing a few courts over.
But I don't mean to use any of this as an excuse. I just didn't bring what was needed to the courts on this day. The matches were hair-splittingly close most of the time, and I failed to convert advantages over and over again when I had them. In the first set's tiebreak, I was up 6-1 and lost all the subsequent points to lose 8-6. If that isn't a bad omen, I don't know what is. In the second set, I was ahead 2-0, then he caught up to 2-2. Then I was ahead 4-2 and he won all the rest of the games. So I just was not able to bring it in. My serve was adequate, but not great. My groundstrokes got the ball over, but did not place well strategically a good portion of the time. We had many games where there were really long rallies, and the match took almost two and a half hours to complete.
At the beginning of the second set, though, the clouds seemed to break for me, as my game came back to pre-injury levels for the first two games. That was a good sign because it was the first time since early March that I had played in a fashion where things were working well and flowing smoothly, even if just for two games. So it is coming back, as memory slowly comes back in fits and spurts to an amnesiac.
On the last point, I screamed out "FUCK!" as my intended shot went askew, and then immediately sheepishly apologized for the outburst. I had been cussing myself under my breath before that, and had been in a dark mood throughout the match. I remember when I started this series, thinking to myself that I wouldn't let this stuff affect me, and that I would just see it as a pleasant workout. Lately I've been getting too inside it, and I need to back off and figure out ways to be calmer in the face of adversity, and get back to just working on hitting the ball the best I can for every shot instead of wrestling with invisible demons.
I was planning to going to the group lesson at Pharr, but the match went longer than I expected, so I would have gotten there significantly late. And I was exhausted and out of fuel anyway. So I blew that off and went home to rest.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
No Sparks
Sets 162-164 (of 365):
Stuart vs. R. at McCallum High. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
My Mojo: Average.
I just have not felt the sparks lately. Sure, I pulled out wins here, but my strokes were tentative, my serve was not on at all, and when he was on, that's when I lost. I probably need to practice with the ball machine or against a wall, but I've got too many matches scheduled coming up to get any of that done in the next few days.
Stuart vs. R. at McCallum High. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
My Mojo: Average.
I just have not felt the sparks lately. Sure, I pulled out wins here, but my strokes were tentative, my serve was not on at all, and when he was on, that's when I lost. I probably need to practice with the ball machine or against a wall, but I've got too many matches scheduled coming up to get any of that done in the next few days.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Steady Play Wins The Match
Sets 160-161 (of 365):
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 7-5.
My Mojo: Average, But Steady.
I didn't feel like I played all that well tonight. But I did stay relatively steady. I think my opponent made more errors than usual. I never did feel completely confident with my game and it sort of surprised me that I won all of the games in the first set. My first serve was completely off for most of the entire match, though it did congeal into place for a few games in the second set. My second serve was only reliably in when I dinked it into the box, and had very little power. But I just managed to sail by in all of the games of the first set. The first game of the first set was grueling and kept going back and forth from deuce to add; it took a half an hour in itself to finish!
In the second set, I was losing badly and quickly. I was down 5-1 when I bore down and just concentrated on winning one point at a time. Amazingly, it worked, and I won the next six games in a row to take the set 7-5!
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-0, 7-5.
My Mojo: Average, But Steady.
I didn't feel like I played all that well tonight. But I did stay relatively steady. I think my opponent made more errors than usual. I never did feel completely confident with my game and it sort of surprised me that I won all of the games in the first set. My first serve was completely off for most of the entire match, though it did congeal into place for a few games in the second set. My second serve was only reliably in when I dinked it into the box, and had very little power. But I just managed to sail by in all of the games of the first set. The first game of the first set was grueling and kept going back and forth from deuce to add; it took a half an hour in itself to finish!
In the second set, I was losing badly and quickly. I was down 5-1 when I bore down and just concentrated on winning one point at a time. Amazingly, it worked, and I won the next six games in a row to take the set 7-5!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
A Bad State Of Mind
Sets 156-159 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 6-4, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.
My Mojo: Hindered By Poor Mental State, Improved Slightly Toward The End.
I never felt at any time like I was playing anywhere near the level that I should be playing. My opponent was also playing pretty strongly so it was hard to break in and this sapped my confidence. In the first set, I was doing all right at first. I kept pace with my opponent for a while, but then he pulled ahead toward the end. That was the best I did all night. In the second set, everything stopped working for me, and I lost a lot of confidence. It was incredible that I won two games because I was playing very poorly though I do have to give my opponent credit as this was probably his strongest set and he got some really good shots and strategy in play. By the end of the second set, my mental state had really deteriorated.
S. asked me if I wanted to play another set, and I thought to myself that I was not in much of a good frame of mind to play, but I was not physically tired. Also, I figured that I needed experience in trying to lift myself out of an extreme funk. So I played a third set. This was my worst set yet as everything seemed to do the opposite of what worked in almost every point. Whole games went by in which I didn't score any points and I had nothing to accomplish or offer. My mental state got even worse throughout this set. At one point during the fifth game, I had an impulse to throw my racquet over the fence into the lake next to the court. I'm glad I didn't do that. However, after I flubbed the next point, I did kind of drop my racquet in disgust. I never did pull my mental state together for any of the third set.
Still, I was not physically tired, and I felt able to play another set no problem. So we played a fourth set, this time at my urging. My mental state did improve a little. I got my feet to move a little better, and I calmed down some. During this set, I never did get an advantage, but it did not affect my mood much. I had decided to just play and realize that the outcome really didn't matter much. So I concentrated more on the shots and my movements rather than making a black cloud appear over my head. It worked to a point, but I was still not playing fantastically. S. asked if I wanted to play another set and I declined. I was physically able, but my mental state was at the point that I could not summon it up for a fifth set and I felt I would gain very little from playing again. This match (or two matches, since it was four sets) was definitely a low point for the week and I would anticipate coming up somewhat from this, hopefully. I am still in a slump, though, definitely.
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 6-4, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.
My Mojo: Hindered By Poor Mental State, Improved Slightly Toward The End.
I never felt at any time like I was playing anywhere near the level that I should be playing. My opponent was also playing pretty strongly so it was hard to break in and this sapped my confidence. In the first set, I was doing all right at first. I kept pace with my opponent for a while, but then he pulled ahead toward the end. That was the best I did all night. In the second set, everything stopped working for me, and I lost a lot of confidence. It was incredible that I won two games because I was playing very poorly though I do have to give my opponent credit as this was probably his strongest set and he got some really good shots and strategy in play. By the end of the second set, my mental state had really deteriorated.
S. asked me if I wanted to play another set, and I thought to myself that I was not in much of a good frame of mind to play, but I was not physically tired. Also, I figured that I needed experience in trying to lift myself out of an extreme funk. So I played a third set. This was my worst set yet as everything seemed to do the opposite of what worked in almost every point. Whole games went by in which I didn't score any points and I had nothing to accomplish or offer. My mental state got even worse throughout this set. At one point during the fifth game, I had an impulse to throw my racquet over the fence into the lake next to the court. I'm glad I didn't do that. However, after I flubbed the next point, I did kind of drop my racquet in disgust. I never did pull my mental state together for any of the third set.
Still, I was not physically tired, and I felt able to play another set no problem. So we played a fourth set, this time at my urging. My mental state did improve a little. I got my feet to move a little better, and I calmed down some. During this set, I never did get an advantage, but it did not affect my mood much. I had decided to just play and realize that the outcome really didn't matter much. So I concentrated more on the shots and my movements rather than making a black cloud appear over my head. It worked to a point, but I was still not playing fantastically. S. asked if I wanted to play another set and I declined. I was physically able, but my mental state was at the point that I could not summon it up for a fifth set and I felt I would gain very little from playing again. This match (or two matches, since it was four sets) was definitely a low point for the week and I would anticipate coming up somewhat from this, hopefully. I am still in a slump, though, definitely.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Defensive Play Not Executed Well
Sets 154-155 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at Vista Ridge High School. Winner: S. 6-2, 6-0
My Mojo: Average At First, Deflated Toward The End.
This was the first time I had played at this place, and though it was pretty far out of town, it was a nice facility. The only problem was that the lights came on awfully late. It was already pretty dark when they started coming on, and they took quite a while to warm up to full intensity, so it was hard to see for a good portion of the match. I have a hard time playing as twilight progresses as I have difficulty in seeing.
I didn't really get any advantages in either set. I got outplayed, for the most part, and could not get an offense happening most of the time. He hit a good proportion of winners on me, and I was on my toes to get to shots that I barely could hit back, much less place well. My game throughout the match was almost totally defensive, and I didn't play defense particularly well. I lost confidence in the time before the lights came on and it was too dark for me to play well, and then I never did regain it; it would have taken an extraordinary effort for me to come back from as far behind as I was and I didn't have it in me on this night.
Stuart vs. S. at Vista Ridge High School. Winner: S. 6-2, 6-0
My Mojo: Average At First, Deflated Toward The End.
This was the first time I had played at this place, and though it was pretty far out of town, it was a nice facility. The only problem was that the lights came on awfully late. It was already pretty dark when they started coming on, and they took quite a while to warm up to full intensity, so it was hard to see for a good portion of the match. I have a hard time playing as twilight progresses as I have difficulty in seeing.
I didn't really get any advantages in either set. I got outplayed, for the most part, and could not get an offense happening most of the time. He hit a good proportion of winners on me, and I was on my toes to get to shots that I barely could hit back, much less place well. My game throughout the match was almost totally defensive, and I didn't play defense particularly well. I lost confidence in the time before the lights came on and it was too dark for me to play well, and then I never did regain it; it would have taken an extraordinary effort for me to come back from as far behind as I was and I didn't have it in me on this night.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Two Matches In One Night, Two Losses, And I Am Tired
Sets 149-150 (of 365):
Stuart vs. T. at Private Courts. Winner: T. 7-6(3), 6-4
Sets 151-153 (of 365):
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
My Mojo: Asleep At The Wheel
One major thing I had in common in both of these matches was that my returns of serve were just terrible. In the first match, I hardly returned any of his serves. T. said that he thought his serves were really on that day, but I kept concentrating on getting them, split-stepping to get faster reaction, moving back, moving to the side, and nothing I did seemed to improve my response to his serves. In the second match, it wasn't as bad, but when J. hit a blazing serve, I was defenseless.
After playing five matches in which I was not playing all that well, but in which I still managed to last quite a long time, I was pretty exhausted at the end, and ready to sleep.
Stuart vs. T. at Private Courts. Winner: T. 7-6(3), 6-4
Sets 151-153 (of 365):
Stuart vs. J. at Northwest Park. Winner: J. 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
My Mojo: Asleep At The Wheel
One major thing I had in common in both of these matches was that my returns of serve were just terrible. In the first match, I hardly returned any of his serves. T. said that he thought his serves were really on that day, but I kept concentrating on getting them, split-stepping to get faster reaction, moving back, moving to the side, and nothing I did seemed to improve my response to his serves. In the second match, it wasn't as bad, but when J. hit a blazing serve, I was defenseless.
After playing five matches in which I was not playing all that well, but in which I still managed to last quite a long time, I was pretty exhausted at the end, and ready to sleep.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Still Not There, But Not Too Bad
Sets 147-148 (of 365):
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 7-6(3), 7-6(8)
My Mojo: Not Bad, Considering, But Still A Bit Unbalanced
In this match, I was still not quite up to snuff. I was not having any mobility problems, but I have been still having some twinges of pain off the courts, though the pain has not seemed to either appear while I am playing or affect my ability to get to the ball. However, I am reacting slowly, and my muscles are not coordinating well, which is making me shoot a little off. I am also having something of a problem with impatience that I need to work on. Each of these sets was neck-and-neck all the way up to the end, but I could not close the deal in either of the tiebreaks. I had a lot more energy in the second tiebreak and managed to hold off to get to 10-8. I was simply not able to get enough strategic shots in to hold a lead, or even stay on the offense most of the time.
Stuart vs. S. at His Apartments. Winner: S. 7-6(3), 7-6(8)
My Mojo: Not Bad, Considering, But Still A Bit Unbalanced
In this match, I was still not quite up to snuff. I was not having any mobility problems, but I have been still having some twinges of pain off the courts, though the pain has not seemed to either appear while I am playing or affect my ability to get to the ball. However, I am reacting slowly, and my muscles are not coordinating well, which is making me shoot a little off. I am also having something of a problem with impatience that I need to work on. Each of these sets was neck-and-neck all the way up to the end, but I could not close the deal in either of the tiebreaks. I had a lot more energy in the second tiebreak and managed to hold off to get to 10-8. I was simply not able to get enough strategic shots in to hold a lead, or even stay on the offense most of the time.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Climbing Back Up The Mountain
Sets 145-146 (of 365):
Stuart vs. D. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 6-4, 6-2
My Mojo: Cautiously Optimistic
I am starting to get my game back. I am still not completely there, as I feel I am making a few more errors than usual. But this is also giving me an opportunity to readjust my form a little too, and I think my game will come out at a little higher level when the dust settles.
The first set was tough. We were pretty even in points and games for the first eight games, and after we got to 4-4, I won the next two games to win the set. None of the games in the first set seemed really easy to me and the whole set was a struggle. But this was the first match since my injury that I felt my performance improved throughout the match rather than having deflated as play went on. I feel encouraged by that.
In the second set, my play cleared up a little more, and I started feeling like my shots were giving me strategic advantages more often. My arm was moving smoothly and my footwork was not tremendous, but was getting the job done. I was hitting good, fluid backhands with great timing, excellent directional control and decent topspin, which is usually not something I have a history of doing consistently. I was also working in my new serve more, especially with a kick movement that I still am not getting in the box very often, but it worked a couple of times. With a little more practice I think I can make this a pretty high-percentage offensive shot. I still need to work some more to get back to where I need to be because against a better player, I think I would have more apparent weaknesses.
Stuart vs. D. at Connally High. Winner: Stuart 6-4, 6-2
My Mojo: Cautiously Optimistic
I am starting to get my game back. I am still not completely there, as I feel I am making a few more errors than usual. But this is also giving me an opportunity to readjust my form a little too, and I think my game will come out at a little higher level when the dust settles.
The first set was tough. We were pretty even in points and games for the first eight games, and after we got to 4-4, I won the next two games to win the set. None of the games in the first set seemed really easy to me and the whole set was a struggle. But this was the first match since my injury that I felt my performance improved throughout the match rather than having deflated as play went on. I feel encouraged by that.
In the second set, my play cleared up a little more, and I started feeling like my shots were giving me strategic advantages more often. My arm was moving smoothly and my footwork was not tremendous, but was getting the job done. I was hitting good, fluid backhands with great timing, excellent directional control and decent topspin, which is usually not something I have a history of doing consistently. I was also working in my new serve more, especially with a kick movement that I still am not getting in the box very often, but it worked a couple of times. With a little more practice I think I can make this a pretty high-percentage offensive shot. I still need to work some more to get back to where I need to be because against a better player, I think I would have more apparent weaknesses.
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