Better Late than Never

Inside The Lines – My Tennis Journey

Better Late than Never

December 10, 2009

Volume 2: issue 2

I play USTA League tennis at the 3.5 level. This simply means I am not a beginner. I am on the long road to becoming an advanced player. Leagues are nice because you get exposed to a variety of players and playing styles. I believe my game has improved dramatically due to the combination of drills, lessons, practice, and the opportunity to play in leagues and tournaments. I don’t believe my game would be at the level it is currently without the benefit of league play. I started playing tennis later in life after I figured I had exhausted my basketball playing days, so it is very easy for me to say, “Better late than never.” I can also say that for some of my match play. Please let me explain.

Our team had to play a makeup match on this night because of a previous cancellation due to rain. The weather was not exactly favorable. It was cold, breezy and very dry. My hands were destined to crack and it was difficult to get a good feel for the racquet or the ball. Nevertheless, part of the beauty of tennis is overcoming the elements. Tonight would be a test of that premise. As has been customary, I played line #4, which usually means I am playing the weakest of the four opponents required in a team match. This is not always the case, but more often than not a player on line #4 does not have as much ability as a line #1 player. My opponent on this night (Alvin Jimenez) was listed as a 3.0 level player. I was not totally convinced of that by night’s end, but that is the nature of league tennis. Sometimes the level of play is not consistent with the USTA ratings. Much discussion has occurred in many circles in the tennis community regarding ratings and their accuracy. The system will never be perfect, but it is used as a guideline to benchmark and classify competition levels.

I had to fight the elements and the notion that I should win against a 3.0 player. Plus, I was playing at my home court. This was enough pressure for me, but I could not think of it in that way.

The match started out in my favor. I won the coin toss and elected to serve. My thought process on this night was to jump out to a lead and put pressure on my opponent to play from behind.

It did not work.

I lost a tough service game where I double faulted the first point, then fell behind 0-30 after Alvin hit a chip return winner off a very good serve out wide in the ad court. At 0-30 I needed to get in a first serve. I did. I won the next two points to level the game at 30-30. Then, the first of several unlucky net cord bounces did me in. I was now down 30-40 on my serve. However, I was confident because I like to serve in the ad court. I hit another good serve out wide and Alvin did the same thing he did previously. He turned it into an angled winner for him. It was now a deciding point that would determine this game. Then, it happened again. Alex elected to receive the serve in the ad court. I wanted to go down the ‘T’, but I missed my first serve. I went back to my best serve – out wide in the ad court. Alex chipped it out wide and I could not get to it quick enough. I lost the first game. It was disappointing, but I told myself that if I continued to serve consistently some of those breaks would go my way. Down 0-1 I decided to concentrate on breaking Alvin’s serve.

Alvin’s serve was deceptive. It came in hard and flat with a moderate pace. It appeared to accelerate once it hit the court. The ball seemed heavy at times, so I tried to chip it back to start the rally rather than attempt to direct in an offensive manner. This worked most of the time. However, it took me several games to figure out the way to handle it. The second game I did not do that. I lost the second game on a deciding point after Alvin hit an ace down the ‘T’. I was down 0-2 and I needed to win my next service game.

I won my service game to maintain contact. Down 1-2, I wanted to keep pressure on Alvin to win his service games. I felt like I would eventually catch up to his serve and mine would get stronger as the match progressed. This proved to be true. Alvin won his service game, but it was a struggle. The deciding point winner was on a shot that hit the net and dropped over. I hit what I thought was a perfect drop shot after driving Alvin deep on the baseline. Alvin’s speed and length allowed him to catch up and stick his racquet underneath the ball. The ball popped up and barely cleared the net after hitting the top and falling over. I had no chance. I wanted to get upset. I could not believe the luck this guy was having so far. I was down 1-3. Then, I realized that I have to hold serve. 2-3 looks a lot better than 1-4. It was time to refocus. I figured if I held serve, I could break on his next serve. But, I had to handle my business. I held comfortably. I was up 40-0 when I made the first error of the game by hitting a cross court forehand too deep, but I was encouraged by my play. I was starting to play myself into the match. At 40-15 I decided to go for it on my first serve. I jammed Alvin with a body serve. He fought it off and hit a ball deep down the middle. I fought it off and looped a forehand deep down the middle to his backhand. It bounced too high and he hit it into the net. I was feeling good about my chances to break. It was now 2-3 and Alvin’s serve.

Alvin struggled with his serve in this game. I think his nerves were starting to get to him because he missed an opportunity to go up 4-1. He lost this game and we were now tied 3-3. However, the unthinkable happened next. I lost my service game. I was down again 3-4. I did not handle my service game well. There was a strange pattern to the games I served and lost. Alvin would hit a return that I bet he could not hit again in a thousand tries. During rallies, I would invariably hit a ball that would be close, but out. Basically, I felt like I was losing these games because of the combination of my errors and Alvin’s luck. I really believed that pattern could not continue. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and realized I would have to break Alvin’s serve again. Plus, I knew Alvin would be serving under pressure to try to go up 5-3.

The eighth game of the first set was crucial for me. I got off to a good start. I hit a cross court winner when Alvin approached the net on a deep shot to the ad corner. He probably figured I could not pass him with my forehand. I did. It was one of the better shots I hit in the match. I heard one of my teammates acknowledge the shot in the distance, so I knew it was a good one. 0-15 was a good start for me. Several rallies later, the score was now 30-30. This was another key moment in the match. Alvin hit a serve down the ‘T’ that was close, but out. He later told me he thought it was an ace. He had not seen me put my finger up, nor did he hear me call, “Out.” Alvin double faulted on his next serve. The first set of the match was now tied 4-4.

This is what I fought for – a chance to level the set and give myself a chance to win it. I had to hold serve. I felt confident about holding serve at this point. I believe the ninth game was the game that won me the match. The game came down to a deciding point. Alvin, much to my surprise, elected to take the serve in the ad court. I hit the serve in the middle of the box and it jammed him, but he still managed to float a deep ball right at my feet. All I could do was chip it, and hope it stayed in the court. It did and that is when the rally started. The next ball came down the middle and I hit a slice backhand back down the middle that stayed low. Again, Alvin hit a forehand that had me scramble to my backhand. He is now standing at the net. I tried to loop a backhand past him, but he hit an overhead that I managed to fight off and I hit a semi-lob. Alvin hit that ball deep to the ad court. I scrambled and hit a looping forehand that sailed over his head and landed inside the baseline for a winner. He was just as surprised as I was. It wasn’t quite a lob and it wasn’t really a ground stroke, but because of my unorthodox swing pattern (ala Nadal buggy whip style), and being a lefty, I was able to hit that shot. 5-4 and momentum on my side, I felt like Alvin would struggle in his service game. He did. At 30-40, he double faulted. I won the set 6-4. Plus, it was my serve to start the second set.

I lost my service game. It wasn’t that I did not serve well. I did. But, Alvin hit some returns that were placed well. When I served at 30-40, Alvin hit another shot that skidded off the top of the net. It disrupted my timing and my slice backhand floated long. Yikes! Another service game was down the tube. I knew this was a no-no, but I had to get over it quickly. The second set took on the same characteristics as the first set. I got down 1-3, then, I held my serve at 1-3. The difference was that I managed to win the next five games. I decided to change my pattern of play and force Alvin to hit more balls. I noticed he had trouble as long as I kept the ball deep and bouncing high to the backhand. I stopped hitting to his forehand. I hit the ball deep down the middle or cross court, but not to the deuce court if I could help it. When he tried to run around his backhand, I made certain I would slice the ball to his forehand on the next ball hit. This kept him from getting any clean forehand shots. This pattern of play worked because Alvin hit a decent slice backhand, but that played into my hands. He stopped trying to hit forehands and battle me with slice backhands. Then, when his slice backhand sat up, it was right in my hitting zone for the forehand. I could slice my backhand to his backhand because I had more control on that side. His backhand would go to my forehand. I don’t know if he figured this out. Five games later it did not matter. I had won the match 6-4, 6-3.

Both sets started slowly for me. I was down 1-3 in each. But, I figured out that if I kept fighting I would give myself a chance. I did not let the elements, bad bounces, unlucky bounces or the frustration of hitting good shots without getting good results affect me. This was a test of mental focus. I can’t always expect opponents to self-destruct under the pressure. But, I also know that being down one break of serve is no reason for me to panic. Starting slowly is not the ideal way to begin a match and it is a pattern I have to break. This is why I say, “Better Late than Never”, but the better saying might be, “Better, Never Late.” This simply means that if I serve first, I need to win that service game and get my play established earlier in the match. In other words, don’t start late.

What went wrong
- I could have come to net more. My opponent came to net on many slice approach shots, which forced me to pass or lob him. If I had turned the tables on him, he may not have been as aggressive.

-I hit too many balls down the middle of the court. Although I hit a few shots cross court, some for winners, I hit too many neutral balls when I had opportunities to hit an offensive shot.

What went right

-Effective use of the lob and cross court pass shots to keep opponent from charging the net consistently
-I was not affected mentally by the elements (wind, excessive noise at times).

-First serve was effective both in ad court and deuce court.
-I did not rush shots – used patience in executing ground strokes and setting up points when opportunities availed themselves.

What would I do differently (Key Lessons)
-I would elect to receive and try to hit more balls in the beginning of the match when it is cold.

-I would bear down in the second set to make sure I hold serve and put more pressure on the opponent.

Tennis and Life coupled like man and wife.

A commitment to excellence takes hard work and may cause pain.

Some days will be sunny. Other days may bring rain.

And when the story is told by others and it is time to reflect,

Life will teach how to forgive. Tennis allows you to play a “let”.

Copyright © 2009 Milton A. Brown