Beaten

I feel I have suffered defeat at the hands of an inferior tennis player this evening. I will take this as a learning experience, but if it happens again, it will be a humiliation.

Game 1: My serve. It lasted 20 minutes. I can't count how many deuce points there were. My second serve is the weakest aspect of my game and I wasn't getting many first serves in this game. I should have, and eventually did, lose this game. It was at this point I assumed I would win the set because I played a shitty first game and still almost won.

Game 2: He got his serves in and won easily. He had a good first serve, not unreturnable, but challenging. I was down 2-0 and my confidence was shaky. I could break him, but it wouldn't be easy. He plays conservative, not many winners, but not many unforced errors. My strokes are better, his, more accurate. I'm faster, he's got better touch and much more match experience. I'm competitive, he's knowledgeable. He plays with strategy, I play recklessly.

Game 3: My serve. I hit my serves in, but he returns them. I make a series of unforced errors. Down 3-0, it's looking like a blow out, an embarassment, a "I'm not showing up at tennis club next week" match.

Game 4: He opens up with a double fault. I go up love-40. He wins a point, I win the game. Not shut out. Good.

Game 5: I dominate. 3-2.

Game 6: I go up 30-love. I anticipate how I will tell the story to Kevin, Alice, and Chuck of my great comeback. He starts getting his shots in and charging the net. I get greedy and try to make passing shots. They are going out. The game goes on and on. Good rallies. He finally wins. 4-2. Shit.

Game 7: My serve. I'm getting my first serve in. He's returning most of them. I'm making a bunch of unforced errors. I am a weak tennis player. 5-2. I feel defeated.

Game 8: He's assumed victory, which makes him play a little cocky, charging the net. With nothing to lose I start hitting my best shots of the day, passing him twice for winners. 5-3.

Game 9: My first serve isn't going in. He wins the game easily. 6-3.

I would put 75-25 odds on me next week.