Set 319:
My Mojo: Rusty And Sluggish.
Stuart vs. TennisTitan in Andrus Park, Yonkers, N. Y. Winner: TennisTitan 7-6(5)
It had been raining for a while during the time I was in Paterson, N. J. I had thought about calling TennisTitan during my voyage and decided to give him a call, even though it didn't look to me at the time like we would be able to play tennis. So I rang him up and he extended a gracious invitation to stay at his place in lieu of me staying at a hotel, and I accepted.
Lo and behold, by the time I got to Yonkers, the rain had pretty much let up. The ground was still a little damp, but drying up rapidly, and just in the almost-tolerable range for hitting some tennis balls. So we decided to try playing a set. I had thrown a tennis racquet into the car just in case, but when I went looking for it, it was nowhere to be found. I bet I left it at the last hotel I stayed at, but I have no idea what I did with it. Luckily (or maybe unluckily, as it turned out) TennisTitan loaned me a racquet to hit the ball around with.
We got to the courts, squeegeed for a few minutes, and started hitting. I felt like I was hitting OK at first, but I didn't really have any serious panache. I was having a hard time getting advantages, though I held most of my serves. And my footwork was not that great, compounded by my having a hard time getting my movement started on the wet court. I guess not playing for a couple of weeks turned me into a snail. But enough with the excuses. We kept pace pretty well back and forth, though he got ahead a game for a couple games, and then I caught up to get ahead at 5-4. But my luck from then on was not so good. Though the next few games were close, we tied up the set at 6-6 and then went into tiebreak.
I immediately lost the first couple points. I was really dragging my butt and needed to get into gear. I brought it back on a couple of my serves to get to 3-3, but from then on, my play just wasn't confident enough. Still, we got to 4-4, and then 5-5 in the tiebreak. But I just dropped my keys into the toilet at this point, and lost the next two points to drop the set 7-5.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
One More Unexpected Match
Sets 317-318:
Stuart v. P. at Pharr. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Solid.
This was the second unexpected match due to my failure to drop out of the ladder. I was playing really solidly this match. I felt like just about every shot I hit was launched from a solid base, and I got good racquet contact with very few shots that were faced the wrong way. P was getting in some good angle shots in on me every once in a while, They were hit from what looked like a total misface of his racquet, and they seemed kind of low percentage, but when he got one in it was tough. I just managed to stay solid and out play the points to win.
Stuart v. P. at Pharr. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Solid.
This was the second unexpected match due to my failure to drop out of the ladder. I was playing really solidly this match. I felt like just about every shot I hit was launched from a solid base, and I got good racquet contact with very few shots that were faced the wrong way. P was getting in some good angle shots in on me every once in a while, They were hit from what looked like a total misface of his racquet, and they seemed kind of low percentage, but when he got one in it was tough. I just managed to stay solid and out play the points to win.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Some Unexpected Play
Stuart v. M at the Quarries. Winner: Stuart 6-6, retired.
My Mojo: Pretty Good.
I had not expected to play any more this month. But I forgot to take myself off the next round of the ladder, and I was surprised and shocked to get an email from the guy who ran the ladder saying that the next round had been posted. I knew immediately that I had been scheduled. So I emailed my opponents today to see if they could play by this weekend. M. responded and said he could play tonight.
We had a tough almost-set. Of course, I don't get to count this as a set toward my goal because it didn't quite finish. Oh well, I didn't expect to play anyway. He started out ahead 3-0, even though I felt they were close games with good rallies. Then I won the next two games to bring it to 3-2. I thought I was doing well in the next game, but then again, I thought I was doing well in the first three until I lost them. I lost the next game on his ad when a ball rolled on the court and I got distracted, and missed the shot. I uttered some words of disdain, and he asked me if I wanted to call a let. I didn't think that would be fair since the point had already ended without me calling it, so I said no.
So now the score was 4-2. I decided I needed to play more aggressively and won the next game on really good serves. They all went in hard and fast, and he didn't get any points off of them. I think he only returned one, and It was placed weakly enough for me to keep a strong advantage. Then I won the next two games to bring the score to 5-4.
I started losing focus after that, and he started getting everything back with strong placement. He won the next two games to bring the score to where he was ahead 6-5, though these were the longest two games that we played, with long rallies, and one game had lots of deuces and ads back and forth.
Then I won the next game easily to bring the score to 6-6. I expected to play a tiebreaker and was ready to do so and was feeling strong and aggressive. But he suddenly announced that he was not feeling well and had to retire. I was kind of surprised because he seemed like he was playing pretty strongly and didn't show any outward signs of feeling ill. But we shook hands (I have been reflexively putting out my left hand now and shaking upside down), and I wished him recovery and good luck in this other ladder match.
My Mojo: Pretty Good.
I had not expected to play any more this month. But I forgot to take myself off the next round of the ladder, and I was surprised and shocked to get an email from the guy who ran the ladder saying that the next round had been posted. I knew immediately that I had been scheduled. So I emailed my opponents today to see if they could play by this weekend. M. responded and said he could play tonight.
We had a tough almost-set. Of course, I don't get to count this as a set toward my goal because it didn't quite finish. Oh well, I didn't expect to play anyway. He started out ahead 3-0, even though I felt they were close games with good rallies. Then I won the next two games to bring it to 3-2. I thought I was doing well in the next game, but then again, I thought I was doing well in the first three until I lost them. I lost the next game on his ad when a ball rolled on the court and I got distracted, and missed the shot. I uttered some words of disdain, and he asked me if I wanted to call a let. I didn't think that would be fair since the point had already ended without me calling it, so I said no.
So now the score was 4-2. I decided I needed to play more aggressively and won the next game on really good serves. They all went in hard and fast, and he didn't get any points off of them. I think he only returned one, and It was placed weakly enough for me to keep a strong advantage. Then I won the next two games to bring the score to 5-4.
I started losing focus after that, and he started getting everything back with strong placement. He won the next two games to bring the score to where he was ahead 6-5, though these were the longest two games that we played, with long rallies, and one game had lots of deuces and ads back and forth.
Then I won the next game easily to bring the score to 6-6. I expected to play a tiebreaker and was ready to do so and was feeling strong and aggressive. But he suddenly announced that he was not feeling well and had to retire. I was kind of surprised because he seemed like he was playing pretty strongly and didn't show any outward signs of feeling ill. But we shook hands (I have been reflexively putting out my left hand now and shaking upside down), and I wished him recovery and good luck in this other ladder match.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
A Short Match, A Good Attitude
Sets 315-316:
Stuart v. K. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Better Than Average.
It's funny how your play and your attitude can really vary from one match to another. One day, you might be playing poorly and feeling really grumpy, and the next, it might be all sunshine and flowers, and you can't go wrong when you hit the ball. The even more amazing thing is that sometimes this can all vary from game to game, or from point to point. I bring this up because yesterday my play was not so great, whereas today, it was much better. And my attitude today was great as opposed to lukewarm yesterday.
This was the last match I will play for about a month. I've got some stuff happening in the next month and I don't think I'll be able to play, but I'll come roaring back in September ready to finish this series. I'm ahead of my monthly goals by a pretty good margin, and even though last month and this month I won't have made par, I'm still on target.
I had another match scheduled this afternoon but had to cancel due to pressing stuff. I hate cancelling a match and this was the first time I had to cancel not due to weather or illness/injury, but it was unavoidable. Right now I can hardly believe that it is barely 9:30 a.m. and I've already finished a match. 8:00 a.m. was the earliest I have played all year. My opponent wanted to start at 7:00, but I didn't think I would make it out of bed in time. I probably wouldn't have, and barely got it together to get to this one.
I was playing well on the aggressive side when I set my mind to do so, but about half the time I was playing my usual defensive game. I had good directionality today, but did lose focus once or twice and hit a few long or cockeyed. On the whole, my shots were good. But what was great was my attitude. My mental state was really positive and together, and my plans were executed well. Almost every point, I had a good plan, and they worked most of the time.
In the second set, my opponent decided to get a lot more aggressive and play a chip and charge game for a while. I responded to this by hitting a lot of lobs when he came to net, most of which either landed out of his reach, or forced him to make weak returns off of his back foot to give me control of the point. And when he came to net reflexively but inappropriately, I was able to pick out the territory to hit a low-whizzing winner to that was out of his reach. I was able to adapt to his "B" game well. Towards the end of the match, I became more confident in my shots, and put it away easily, to end the match in about an hour.
Stuart v. K. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-1, 6-0.
My Mojo: Better Than Average.
It's funny how your play and your attitude can really vary from one match to another. One day, you might be playing poorly and feeling really grumpy, and the next, it might be all sunshine and flowers, and you can't go wrong when you hit the ball. The even more amazing thing is that sometimes this can all vary from game to game, or from point to point. I bring this up because yesterday my play was not so great, whereas today, it was much better. And my attitude today was great as opposed to lukewarm yesterday.
This was the last match I will play for about a month. I've got some stuff happening in the next month and I don't think I'll be able to play, but I'll come roaring back in September ready to finish this series. I'm ahead of my monthly goals by a pretty good margin, and even though last month and this month I won't have made par, I'm still on target.
I had another match scheduled this afternoon but had to cancel due to pressing stuff. I hate cancelling a match and this was the first time I had to cancel not due to weather or illness/injury, but it was unavoidable. Right now I can hardly believe that it is barely 9:30 a.m. and I've already finished a match. 8:00 a.m. was the earliest I have played all year. My opponent wanted to start at 7:00, but I didn't think I would make it out of bed in time. I probably wouldn't have, and barely got it together to get to this one.
I was playing well on the aggressive side when I set my mind to do so, but about half the time I was playing my usual defensive game. I had good directionality today, but did lose focus once or twice and hit a few long or cockeyed. On the whole, my shots were good. But what was great was my attitude. My mental state was really positive and together, and my plans were executed well. Almost every point, I had a good plan, and they worked most of the time.
In the second set, my opponent decided to get a lot more aggressive and play a chip and charge game for a while. I responded to this by hitting a lot of lobs when he came to net, most of which either landed out of his reach, or forced him to make weak returns off of his back foot to give me control of the point. And when he came to net reflexively but inappropriately, I was able to pick out the territory to hit a low-whizzing winner to that was out of his reach. I was able to adapt to his "B" game well. Towards the end of the match, I became more confident in my shots, and put it away easily, to end the match in about an hour.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Killed By Angles
Sets 313-314:
Stuart v. M. at The Quarries. Winner: M. 6-3, 6-1.
My Mojo: OK At First, Then Too Unresponsive.
In this match, I was playing decently just briefly, then he came back and just started shooting angle shots at me that got me running around so hard that I could not get any control on the points. I won the first two games of the first set, then only won two more games the whole match. I was getting really frustrated by just having to barely respond to these angle shots, which I knew were coming, and I could not get responsive enough to do anything about it. He kept shooting balls to areas that were just out of my reach, but I couldn't seem to get to areas that were hard for him. When I tried to hit angle shots to his side of the court, they either went out, or went into his comfort zone. Also, my serves were not letting me take control of the points. I wouldn't say this was my absolute worst play, but it definitely was not my on game.
Stuart v. M. at The Quarries. Winner: M. 6-3, 6-1.
My Mojo: OK At First, Then Too Unresponsive.
In this match, I was playing decently just briefly, then he came back and just started shooting angle shots at me that got me running around so hard that I could not get any control on the points. I won the first two games of the first set, then only won two more games the whole match. I was getting really frustrated by just having to barely respond to these angle shots, which I knew were coming, and I could not get responsive enough to do anything about it. He kept shooting balls to areas that were just out of my reach, but I couldn't seem to get to areas that were hard for him. When I tried to hit angle shots to his side of the court, they either went out, or went into his comfort zone. Also, my serves were not letting me take control of the points. I wouldn't say this was my absolute worst play, but it definitely was not my on game.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Fast Points, A Score Quandary, And I Just Could Not Stay On Top
Sets 311-312:
Stuart v. R. at Private Courts. Winner: R. 6-4, 6-3.
My Mojo: Decent, But Barely Getting There.
This guy was a hard hitter with the ability to aim with precision with either rapid topspin or wicked slice, though he made some unforced errors that made it a little more competitive than it would have been if his play had been error-free. He put me on the very edge of my senses and I was having to respond very quickly just so I could get to the ball. I could tell it was going to be tough from the warm-up, and it definitely was. Once we got into the match, I was playing mostly defensively, and was at least getting to most of the balls, but he had an edge that just kept up throughout the match. I was just barely getting to a lot of his balls, and consequently, I had a lot of weak returns. I could possibly have done a better job of returning hard, deep shots that didn't let him take advantage of the point as much. Most of the points were cut off pretty quickly and there were not a lot of long rallies, although there were a few.
When we got the the second match, we played one game that got to at least ten deuce/ad combinations. That threw us off on the score, and I had thought the score was 1-1, but that could not have been right, because the serve was off if that was the score. The problem is, neither of us could remember anything about the second game. I definitely won the first one, and he won the long third one, but what happened in between? He finally said that he remembered that neither of us had won serve this set, so I just agreed to call it 2-2. This didn't exactly sit completely right with me, because I didn't think I had lost a game in the second set before the long game, but I didn't feel like continuing to try to figure it out. Also, I really had could not summon any evidence that supported my version of events; the second game, if there was one (though probably there was), was a complete blank to me, and I had no recollection (At least I'm glad I don't have to say that to a Senate subcommittee...). Anyway, I pretty much moved on at this point, and it didn't throw me off enough to really jolt my play, but I did weaken some after this. All in all, I was more satisfied with my play than not, except for the losing part.
Stuart v. R. at Private Courts. Winner: R. 6-4, 6-3.
My Mojo: Decent, But Barely Getting There.
This guy was a hard hitter with the ability to aim with precision with either rapid topspin or wicked slice, though he made some unforced errors that made it a little more competitive than it would have been if his play had been error-free. He put me on the very edge of my senses and I was having to respond very quickly just so I could get to the ball. I could tell it was going to be tough from the warm-up, and it definitely was. Once we got into the match, I was playing mostly defensively, and was at least getting to most of the balls, but he had an edge that just kept up throughout the match. I was just barely getting to a lot of his balls, and consequently, I had a lot of weak returns. I could possibly have done a better job of returning hard, deep shots that didn't let him take advantage of the point as much. Most of the points were cut off pretty quickly and there were not a lot of long rallies, although there were a few.
When we got the the second match, we played one game that got to at least ten deuce/ad combinations. That threw us off on the score, and I had thought the score was 1-1, but that could not have been right, because the serve was off if that was the score. The problem is, neither of us could remember anything about the second game. I definitely won the first one, and he won the long third one, but what happened in between? He finally said that he remembered that neither of us had won serve this set, so I just agreed to call it 2-2. This didn't exactly sit completely right with me, because I didn't think I had lost a game in the second set before the long game, but I didn't feel like continuing to try to figure it out. Also, I really had could not summon any evidence that supported my version of events; the second game, if there was one (though probably there was), was a complete blank to me, and I had no recollection (At least I'm glad I don't have to say that to a Senate subcommittee...). Anyway, I pretty much moved on at this point, and it didn't throw me off enough to really jolt my play, but I did weaken some after this. All in all, I was more satisfied with my play than not, except for the losing part.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
I Get To A Mostly Calm Place Long Enough To Win
Sets 308-310:
Stuart v. D. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
My Mojo: Average, Then Mostly Calm And Playing Great, Then Slightly Above Average.
I started this match just barely slugging my way through, and not feeling like I was keeping my head above water. Before I knew it, I was down 4-1 in the first set. I wasn't playing as badly as I did yesterday (like I said, there was practically no place to go but up), so I was slightly encouraged. But I wasn't exactly comin' to Jesus either. And I was starting to get frustrated with not being able to get an edge.
And then I just stopped getting mad, and thinking of it more analytically. Also, I made an effort to reach a calmness that I probably would have been able to get to if I'd had more time and a quiet room. But I did get to sort of a "ninety-five-percent-calmness" with just an undercurrent of ennui running underneath like the groundwater that was seeping up from the court we were playing on. Today the groundwater wasn't bad; it was only about a foot-long, quarter-inch wide very slight dampness. I've seen it bubbling up into the court before and had to sop it up only to have it come back a few minutes later. No, it wasn't that bad today.
When I got to the (mostly) calm place, I was able to concentrate on my stroke more, and I was able to get better footwork, placing myself for shots and not shooting wildly, but actually hitting the ball right where I wanted to. I was playing better than I had in a long time. And I won game after game; I won the next six games of the first set to win 6-4.
The second set was much the same, only with a different result. I was once again down 4-1, and came back to tie the score up at 4-4. But I lost my groove and tightened up, and lost the next two games to lose the set. And he was starting to get the most phenomenal shots.
"OK", I told myself, "He is just going to get to spectacularly impossible shots and return them. Plan accordingly." And I did. Now I was ready for him to return the spectacular shots. I also told myself that this was going to be hard and it was not going to be easy, and once again, I resolved to plan accordingly. And the next few games were incredibly tough. I briefly spazzed in the first game of the third set and lost it with no points on my side. But then we played mostly really long rallies, back and forth from deuce to ad, and stayed neck-and-neck. I was taking the odd game for a while after ties, and then he came back after it got to 4-4 and won my serve, so he was up 5-4. Then I knew that every shot would have to count. I made sure I set up early, faced perfectly, and hit the shot from underneath, moving up with a good follow-through using my whole body. I concentrated hard on getting it right every time. I still missed a couple, but I got most of them back. Suddenly, long rallies were ending in my favor consistently. And I think his attitude corroded a little; he was starting to show a little more anger. At the beginning of the match, I had expressed some anger, but now I was as cool as menthol. And it took me into winning the next three games and winning the third set 7-5 to win the match. And I finished yet another match that lasted nearly three hours in stifling, sweaty heat.
Stuart v. D. at Northwest Park. Winner: Stuart 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
My Mojo: Average, Then Mostly Calm And Playing Great, Then Slightly Above Average.
I started this match just barely slugging my way through, and not feeling like I was keeping my head above water. Before I knew it, I was down 4-1 in the first set. I wasn't playing as badly as I did yesterday (like I said, there was practically no place to go but up), so I was slightly encouraged. But I wasn't exactly comin' to Jesus either. And I was starting to get frustrated with not being able to get an edge.
And then I just stopped getting mad, and thinking of it more analytically. Also, I made an effort to reach a calmness that I probably would have been able to get to if I'd had more time and a quiet room. But I did get to sort of a "ninety-five-percent-calmness" with just an undercurrent of ennui running underneath like the groundwater that was seeping up from the court we were playing on. Today the groundwater wasn't bad; it was only about a foot-long, quarter-inch wide very slight dampness. I've seen it bubbling up into the court before and had to sop it up only to have it come back a few minutes later. No, it wasn't that bad today.
When I got to the (mostly) calm place, I was able to concentrate on my stroke more, and I was able to get better footwork, placing myself for shots and not shooting wildly, but actually hitting the ball right where I wanted to. I was playing better than I had in a long time. And I won game after game; I won the next six games of the first set to win 6-4.
The second set was much the same, only with a different result. I was once again down 4-1, and came back to tie the score up at 4-4. But I lost my groove and tightened up, and lost the next two games to lose the set. And he was starting to get the most phenomenal shots.
"OK", I told myself, "He is just going to get to spectacularly impossible shots and return them. Plan accordingly." And I did. Now I was ready for him to return the spectacular shots. I also told myself that this was going to be hard and it was not going to be easy, and once again, I resolved to plan accordingly. And the next few games were incredibly tough. I briefly spazzed in the first game of the third set and lost it with no points on my side. But then we played mostly really long rallies, back and forth from deuce to ad, and stayed neck-and-neck. I was taking the odd game for a while after ties, and then he came back after it got to 4-4 and won my serve, so he was up 5-4. Then I knew that every shot would have to count. I made sure I set up early, faced perfectly, and hit the shot from underneath, moving up with a good follow-through using my whole body. I concentrated hard on getting it right every time. I still missed a couple, but I got most of them back. Suddenly, long rallies were ending in my favor consistently. And I think his attitude corroded a little; he was starting to show a little more anger. At the beginning of the match, I had expressed some anger, but now I was as cool as menthol. And it took me into winning the next three games and winning the third set 7-5 to win the match. And I finished yet another match that lasted nearly three hours in stifling, sweaty heat.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Playing Like An Infant On Quaaludes And Reinjuring My Pinky With A Handshake (AGAIN!)
Sets 306-307:
Stuart v. D. at Austin High. Winner: D. 6-2, 6-0
My Mojo: So Low There's No Place To Go But Up.
I just cannot put out my right hand to shake at all for a while. I keep re-injuring it by putting it out reflexively and having people's grips crunch it back to where it is hurt again. I stuck my right hand out at the end of the match and realize too late in horror that it's going to get shaken and I hope this guy's grip is not too hard. No such luck; It's just a little too firm and I feel things snapping below my pinky. Crap, I wonder when it's going to heal up. Probably never, if I shake hands with anyone in the next six months. This is really messing up my piano playing. The weird thing is that at this point, a hard handshake is about the only thing that really hurts it, though I can't bear much weight on my pinky and playing octaves or more on the piano is not too comfortable.
My play was dismal and it was making a huge black cloud appear over my head. During the warm-up, I didn't hit hardly any backhands right. I even tried to concentrate on it, and it just got worse. Uh-oh, I thought to myself, that's a bad sign. During the match, my backhand was about an 0.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. And I could not get my serve happening either. I think I got maybe five first serves in the whole match, and my second serves were my B-serves which he was able to direct to my definite disadvantage.
Not that he wasn't a very good player. He hit with good power, topspin and depth and exerted good direction. But I've played people who hit like that before and been able to at least be in the game somewhat. In this one, I had completely checked out of the motel. All I could do was helplessly watch myself flub shot after shot and, though he forced many errors, I managed to make a huge amount of unforced errors.
I won the first two games, and then didn't win a single game after that. I don't think I even had the offense on hardly any points after that. I figured it was over by about the second game of the second set. This is the kind of thing I just want to put behind me and tell myself, "Be dang thankful you don't play like that all the time." If I did, I'd probably quit playing...
Stuart v. D. at Austin High. Winner: D. 6-2, 6-0
My Mojo: So Low There's No Place To Go But Up.
I just cannot put out my right hand to shake at all for a while. I keep re-injuring it by putting it out reflexively and having people's grips crunch it back to where it is hurt again. I stuck my right hand out at the end of the match and realize too late in horror that it's going to get shaken and I hope this guy's grip is not too hard. No such luck; It's just a little too firm and I feel things snapping below my pinky. Crap, I wonder when it's going to heal up. Probably never, if I shake hands with anyone in the next six months. This is really messing up my piano playing. The weird thing is that at this point, a hard handshake is about the only thing that really hurts it, though I can't bear much weight on my pinky and playing octaves or more on the piano is not too comfortable.
My play was dismal and it was making a huge black cloud appear over my head. During the warm-up, I didn't hit hardly any backhands right. I even tried to concentrate on it, and it just got worse. Uh-oh, I thought to myself, that's a bad sign. During the match, my backhand was about an 0.2 on a scale of 0 to 10. And I could not get my serve happening either. I think I got maybe five first serves in the whole match, and my second serves were my B-serves which he was able to direct to my definite disadvantage.
Not that he wasn't a very good player. He hit with good power, topspin and depth and exerted good direction. But I've played people who hit like that before and been able to at least be in the game somewhat. In this one, I had completely checked out of the motel. All I could do was helplessly watch myself flub shot after shot and, though he forced many errors, I managed to make a huge amount of unforced errors.
I won the first two games, and then didn't win a single game after that. I don't think I even had the offense on hardly any points after that. I figured it was over by about the second game of the second set. This is the kind of thing I just want to put behind me and tell myself, "Be dang thankful you don't play like that all the time." If I did, I'd probably quit playing...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
