{"id":46756,"date":"2025-04-06T10:43:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T10:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennis.ireneeng.com\/?p=46756"},"modified":"2025-04-07T12:40:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T12:40:27","slug":"the-first-real-tourney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennis.ireneeng.com\/?p=46756","title":{"rendered":"The first real tourney"},"content":{"rendered":"

My last usta sanctioned competition was nearly 10 years ago (2016<\/a>?), if my memory serves me right. This one is for real: us vs Sun, another community.<\/p>\n

… I’m so not competition ready! …<\/p>\n

The format is usta’s: best of 3 sets; 7 point tie break for the first two sets, and super 10 point tie break the third set – both use Woman’s.<\/p>\n

There are 9 matches\/courts: three each of men’s, women’s and mixed doubles. I played 2nd line of mixed doubles with Kevin W., lost to Tracy R and Wayne K.: 3-6, 2-6, the worst outcome of the mixed doubles bracket. Our club lost 2-7 over all.<\/p>\n

We got off to a good start, leading 2-0. Then the heavy set, 6′ Wayne asked if I touched the ball.<\/p>\n

I absolutely did NOT. I was not even close to the ball. I despised dishonesty. He said, “oh, I heard something.”<\/p>\n

Maybe your own breath?<\/p>\n

They’re slow, procrastinate, have water break on even games. If they just take a sip and return to court I won’t say a thing. It’s 1pm and hot. But they linger … When I serve, he said he isn’t ready.<\/p>\n

“You play at server’s pace.”<\/p>\n

He said he doesn’t know any usta rules… so he’s type of person who likes to have the last say, for the sake of saying something petty. I don’t like quibble too -:)<\/p>\n

Maybe that’s his strategy, to disturb and it worked. We began to play their game, which is slow lob and backboard, that everything comes back. I then suddenly realize why I don’t like to play with women. I don’t have the patience. This shows, I’m def not competition ready.<\/p>\n

The last game of the last court: Helene P. \/ Neal P. def Y\/Gu<\/p>\n