Re-invigorated

I used to half joke that one of the things that held me back in tennis was my long-time practice partner. The truth is, I wasn't joking at all. He sucked...and he made me suck. Our matches became mentally draining and predictable...very hard to get excited for. Then, something happened. Ds made no progress in competitive tournaments, had nagging injuries, practically left tennis altogether. Then, one day, he came back...and we played. To my surprise, he exibited no rust in his shot making or physical conditioning. Yes, he threw up on the court after a particularly long raly, but that was attributed to simple indigestion. He finished the 5-set marathon, and beat me overall.

I was shocked. Who was this player? I brushed it off as a one-time thing and was eager for a re-match the following week. Again, it went to 5 sets, but again, I was unable to win the deciding set. The week after that, I took a commanding 3-1 lead early on, and this time...I lost all 3 sets...no need for a 5-setter. I walked off seemingly dejected, not even willing to take advantage of the free court time that presented itself only days away from the next big tournament.

Ds had emerged from his absence as an elite player with all the shots, but my battles with him had reinvigorated my game as well. My recent struggles against him forced me to use everything I had in my own toolkit. I was ready for the tournament. I was two games away from knocking out the eventual and still undefeated champion that week...a man that defeated Ds himself with relative ease. I lost, but I lost to the best and just barely. It's good to be back. Can't wait for a re-match.

Long wait for nothing

All winter I've waited for a tournament to play in. I played one match, and then got to go home. It was a lengthy marathon, but not worth the entry fee.