tennis, life and a few things in between

Patrick Mouratoglou has been posting short videos on FB that I found very useful. Here is one:

” … they all tell you ‘I want to be number one in the world.’ How many believe it? They all wish to be #1 but very few want to be #1. To be able to want it, you have to first believe it. 99% of the players they wish and they don’t believe. So, they don’t do everything on a daily basis to become #1 because they don’t believe deep inside. There are so many doubts. If you let the doubt take you, you’re done. Serena and Venus’ father says, ‘Never let the doubt enter your house’.”

• on change

Tennis elbow and bad knee, maybe it’s just simply the old age symptom. Went to see my doc who gave me a bright yellowish box, Tibetree pain relieving plaster. Inside, it has 5 single plasters. “Change every eight hours.”

Inside each plaster, there is a pat and a tube, the size of soy sauce from the fast food. Pour it over the pat and stick it on.

After I posted this on WeChat, a friend said she had huge allergic reaction after using it. My reaction? Nothing. I felt nothing and feel it did nothing for me. Eagerness to return to the court keeps me using it.

$15 from my doctor but on their web site, it sells for $18.70. I called their (800) 360-6219, after a few rings, a woman answered it casually, as if it’s her home phone. They don’t sell to retail stores and for individual customers, we should buy it online. For whole sale to the doctors’ office, the package contains 36 at $421. “We’re running 15% discount currently,” she said, which comes out about $10 per box of five. It may not be a bad idea.

Ok, it’s the linecall again.

My partners second serve. The net person called it out  and the receiver called it in but failed to return. She immediately said, “serve again.” Then they both said, “second serve.”

In league play, it was our point.

Regardless they knew the rule or not, it seemed gracious-less.

Since my first encounter with the GM at the club, I also complained about the noise on the courts, like loud music. Andre Agassi openly opposed the music playing at Volvo International in 1994:

“That was an embarrassment to tennis out there tonight,” an infuriated Agassi said later. “It was a joke and it scars the game. What are they doing, turning tennis into some kind of circus? If it comes to this, playing music between games, then it’s all over for tennis.

“If I had known they were going to do this, I never would have come here. The music drove me nuts. And I’ll never play anywhere again where they play music during a match.”  

I didn’t blame him then I don’t blame him now. Eehhhhrrr, it’s just very distracting and taxing. And today, it was the screaming kids at their Bouncing class. Oh boy. .. we ended up moving to Court 7 in the smaller area, feeling like in a paradise: quiet.

It’s not a good night.

A new player came to play. I served to ad court and my ball hit the doubles line. There was the sound and followed by the funny bounce. Yet, the new player called it out.

“Did you hear the sound?”

“Ha?”

Sometimes I wonder if they play dumb to get away with it.

Playing with people with little regard to etiquette is a little disconcerting.

“Let’s have a drink.”

But it’s even number of games.

“It’s ok, we just play for fun…” Hmmmm … then why do you obey the other rules of the game?

Ball on court as my patenter to deliver the second serve.

“First serve,” I said, after returning the ball to the neighboring court.

They all said, “… but, it’s her second serve.”

Speechless.

We lost 2-4, 6-8, and 4-4 when time ran out. My point is, they beat me often, yet, don’t bother to learn the basic rule or courtesy of the game.

Some terrible line calls during the game today. Actually with this group of players, bad line calls is kind of route, to a point, I said something a few weeks ago. But that doesn’t stop the trend.

Today, we were 2-0 up in the first set when I hit a winner to the baseline corner of the ad court. Two balls in, yet they called it out, one player was facing me. I just lost it and went over. One opponent pointed to a ball mark closer to the service line. You got to be kidding me.

“It’s out call.” One said.

“Yes, it’s your call but it doesn’t mean you can call a clearly in ball OUT.”

“It’s our call.” they repeated.

What the heck.

• a comeback win 1-6, 6-4, 10-2
• Thanksgiving’23
• pickleball team tourney
• Sweet Open
• 2022
• during lunar new year
• 2nd serve
• 0-6
• 2015

Pro …

• Zhang Shuai vs Toth, 2023
• French Open’22
• Barbora Krejcikova, 2021
• US Open Serena, 2018
• Li Na vs Agnie / Agnieszka Radwacska

My third clinic at the club, the pro is the best, so far. Next to our court, is a father and son, they kissed at the net, very sweet.

It’s the spring break in New York – kiddie camp is going on. The club is up-keeping the courts – refurbish with more dirt. We successfully dragged Ellen up for 8am game …

Ha ha ha … we’re not but three of mates are using the bag.

We did a 1.5 set of doubles for an hour and singles for the second hour – hitting only.