Building Up To A Crescendo

Sets 269-270:

Stuart vs. L. at Bowie High. Winner: Stuart 6-4, 6-2.

My Mojo: Building to Above-Average.

The weather was not too bad for this one. I thought it was going to be hotter, but it was pleasantly temperate. We started out the match neck-and-neck. He had some really good strokes, but my defensive game and ability to run almost everything down cancelled out most of his advantages. He had this really deceptive shot that looked like he was hitting it with topspin, but when it got to my court, it bounced like it had backspin. At first this was really befuddling me, but by the time the second set started, I got used to it. I won the first set, but felt lucky to do so, as he was really giving me a hard time.

The second set was a little easier for me. I got used to some of his shots, and was able to anticipate his signature cross-court missile in deuce court enough that I was able to deal with it well. Also, I felt my energy building throughout the match, and at the end, I was playing in peak form.

This was supposed to be the second match I played today. The guy for the first match did not show up. That really annoyed me. I sent him an email after waiting for him for half an hour, and never heard anything from him afterward. I would have been willing to still play the game if I had heard anything from him, but since I didn't, I counted it as a forfeit on the ladder.