tennis, life and a few things in between

The difficulty of buying tickets for sporting events in other countries is just ridiculous. It made me think of the World Cup, which is still fresh in my mind because Chinese social media was surprisingly full of praise for the good old USA. I wouldn’t be surprised if Donald Trump wrote all those positive posts himself!

Joking aside, one thing I really appreciate here is the ticketing service—even if I constantly complain about the absurd fees. A $47 online processing fee on a $200 ticket? Why so expensive? Isn’t modern technology supposed to make our lives easier and cheaper? In reality, it seems to do just the opposite.

Well, now I’m embarking on my little journey… just to buy tickets:

Here is my tennis toureys this year:
1. Miami Open
2. Sarasota Open @ IMG
3. Madrid Open
4. Japan Open @ Tokyo
5. Seoul
6. China Open @ Beijing
7. Shanghai Rolex Masters

I’ve either attended or already secured tickets for all my planned tournaments, except #5 in Seoul (Sept 20–27), which isn’t on sale yet.

The first three were easy enough to buy and attend. Madrid Open (#3) went smoothly ticket-wise, but I wouldn’t go back—the venue was just too shabby.

In the past, my friends in China always handled my sports and concert tickets. This time, after running into so many headaches trying to buy tickets for the ATP 500 Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Tokyo, I decided to tackle the Chinese tournaments on my own.

Naturally, I was completely defeated by the booking sites: first, I had to download two separate apps, neither of which functioned properly. Secondly, the registration forms didn’t even include an international country code field, so I couldn’t receive a confirmation SMS. Thirdly, buyer has to submit full passport details just to purchase a ticket and then present your passport again at the gate. My goodness… it’s a tennis match, not border control!

And the cherry on top? There’s no option to add tickets to Apple or Google Wallet. With the events still weeks away, those ticket screenshots are going to be completely buried in my photos!

除了第 5 站——9 月 20 日至 27 日举行的首尔站还没开售之外,我计划好的其他所有站点的比赛,要么已经去现场看了,要么已经买好了票.前面几站买票和观赛都很顺利.第 3 站马德里公开赛(Madrid Open) 买票虽然没遇到问题,但我以后不会再去了——场馆实在太简陋了.

以前在中国看体育比赛或演唱会,我的票都是朋友代买的.这次因为抢东京 ATP 500 木下集团日本公开赛(Kinoshita Group Japan Open)的票碰了一鼻子灰但最终买到了, 所以我决定亲自尝试搞定中国这几站的门票.结果:我彻底被那几个订票网站折服了:

第一,我得分别下载两个不同的 App,而且两个都运行不畅.

第二,注册界面甚至连国际区号的选择都没有,导致我根本接收不到验证码短信.

第三, 买票时就必须提交完整的护照详细信息,入场时还得出示护照.天哪……这只是场网球赛而已,又不是过海关边检!

第四 门票没办法添加到 Apple 或 Google Wallet(电子钱包). 离比赛还有好几周的时间, 那些门票截图到时候绝对会被埋进相册堆里!

Hope and I won 6-2; and Gray and I lost to Dave & Hope 3-6. They needed 4th so I played.

The first set, I served at 0-1. At 3-15, the rally was long, Hope and I switched side three times. Although we lost this point, but I held on to win the game.  At 4-2, I hit a winning backhand half volly, which was pretty.

The second set, I didn’t hold serve at all. And each serve, I’ve a double.

I went early to practice serve, as usual. Coach said, “You’ve great serve, don’t understand what ”

oh well… from my right hand, I can see my wrist is not correct – not showing salut!

Today’s weather is comfortable, no blazing sun. It rained after our game’s done, while I was in the pool and locker room. Then pouring hard after I got home.

A lucky day, done 🎾 before the☔️⛈️ 好运气 离场时开始🌧️游完泳后就停了 现在又开始兴风作浪的 [玫瑰]

6-2, 3-6

非常好的一场
三个小鲜肉都棒
第一局俺守住了二次发. 尤其是0-1, 30-15发时. 我和搭档换了三次位置 虽然输了这个球 30-30 但是赢了盘.

早上教练经过看到我在练发球 说 “你发的已经很好了 不知道你在担心啥…” 酸甜苦辣咸的 俺就想改掉饼 但他就是看不见 🙈[咒骂][偷笑] 服

I lost two sets with two partners.

There was a bad line call when Jeff served from the deuce court side. His ball landed on the side of the tap. I heard it and saw it, so did the receiver. But his partner called it out and said it was her call.

I agree, it was their call, but I also have the right to say what I saw. Nearly 70 years old, someone has to have the last say: so sickening… it was double fault -:).

~ ~ … still struggling with my serve! ~ ~

So, it was a second serve. Although we won the game but lost the set.

During the changeover, the receiver whispered

to me that it was a good ball.

“I knew.”

I despise the receiver-sort-of players: if you knew it was a good ball, why didn’t you say so?

… a few forehand and backhand

&

Matt & I v Dave L & Tony: 6-2, 4-6.

We were leading 3-0, but then took a long break, then lost drive -:)

… still working on my serve: tossing high and drop low, and I served up two aces, all from the ad court to the ally!

It may not be an earth shattering thing, but I served well, even tray is still there: by tossing first, I’ve a better serve.

Hope and I def Sandi & Matt, 6-2
Matt and I def (well … ) 4-1 when Hope quit.

6-2, 4-1 someone quit

屡教不改的又一场
第一盘从0-2 追回来的

发球不错 小开心… 有tray 那张不能放 [捂脸]

自欺欺人 [调皮] 不过俺真的有改进哦 -手腕不行

What a comeback – however small!

Serving second in the set, promptly went down to 0-40. Then, one point at a time, I got to duece.

9 of them!

Clinching the win was such a joy.

I’ve not been playing since the Douro River trip. Today I served well. The feedback:

The good news

1. You are reaching a true trophy position

* In frames 2–4, your tossing arm is up and your hitting elbow is separated from your body.
* Your shoulders are tilted nicely.
* You are not serving with a pancake motion from the start.

2. The racket drop is real

* By frame 5, the racket head is dropping behind your back.
* That’s something a severe waiter’s tray serve cannot do.

6-3, 7-3
… from 0-40 down to 9 deuces and won

9个平分 [白眼] 赢的艰难

我的第一个发球局——也就是这一盘的第二局——竟然从0比40落后,一路打出了9次平分! 二个男娃 来势汹汹 最终赢 累死大妈了