Spring season's first USTA 18 & Over League match was tonight, paired up with T.P. for #1 doubles court. I have to admit that I was nervous, much more so than any other match before. I think this was primarily because I wanted to win to improve my NTRP rating, I wish I did not want that as I put unnecessary pressure on me. Thankfully, T.P. game to the match pumped up, itching to get on court and confident, it helped me calm down and feel his confidence as well.
I had been playing much more throughout the week than ever before, physically I was also a little weaker than normal, I was really hoping to play well, and I was mostly worried about my serves. When I am tired my serves are the first to go down hill and when my serves don't work, nothing else works.
Thankfully, I had the best serving match ever. The pace and placement of my serves were eye opening, and our opponents took notice, waiting to return the serves 2-3 ft behind the baseline. The best parts were than I had only one double fault at a non-critical point, and none of my serve games were broken. Most of the games during my serves were easy wins, except the game in which I had a double fault, we won that 40-30.
Despite great serving, my topspin BHs were no where to be found, I only had one winner hitting topspin and lost three points, so I kept slicing. My FHs were not too bad, but not close to what they usually are, still have close to a dozen winners on my FH and probably half-a-dozen losses. T.P. had one of his best nights though. So the combination of my serves and his solid play won us the match 6-3, 6-4. This was one of those matches that solidifies my position that serves are too important not to be developed to the maximum extent before any other shots.
It feels really good to start off the season with such a critical win. Sadly, our team lost the two other doubles matches; singles matches are to be played another day.
I had been playing much more throughout the week than ever before, physically I was also a little weaker than normal, I was really hoping to play well, and I was mostly worried about my serves. When I am tired my serves are the first to go down hill and when my serves don't work, nothing else works.
Thankfully, I had the best serving match ever. The pace and placement of my serves were eye opening, and our opponents took notice, waiting to return the serves 2-3 ft behind the baseline. The best parts were than I had only one double fault at a non-critical point, and none of my serve games were broken. Most of the games during my serves were easy wins, except the game in which I had a double fault, we won that 40-30.
Despite great serving, my topspin BHs were no where to be found, I only had one winner hitting topspin and lost three points, so I kept slicing. My FHs were not too bad, but not close to what they usually are, still have close to a dozen winners on my FH and probably half-a-dozen losses. T.P. had one of his best nights though. So the combination of my serves and his solid play won us the match 6-3, 6-4. This was one of those matches that solidifies my position that serves are too important not to be developed to the maximum extent before any other shots.
It feels really good to start off the season with such a critical win. Sadly, our team lost the two other doubles matches; singles matches are to be played another day.
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