On Serve

After eight days of watching top level tennis from the front row, I've developed an injury. My neck is sore. The balls go so fast. You can't help but track them with your head. Back and forth. Back and forth. I'm not complaining. Due to my job searching status, I've had plenty of free time to take in the sights at the men's Tiburon Peninsula Club Challenger. The one day I had to go to San Francisco for an interview it rained and the matches were cancelled. After the rain blew over it was warm and gorgeous all week. We housed one of the tournament officials so we got VIP treatment. Lucky me. 

The theme of this year's tourney was tall and more tall. It was truly a battle of the big guys. The singles final pitted Ivo Karlovic (6'10") against shorty Sam Querrey. Sam, who is a mere six foot six, beat Ryan Sweeting (6'5") in the semis. Steve Johnson, a shrimp at six foot two, teamed up with Querrey and went against lefties Cartsen Ball (6'6") and Chris Guccione (6'7") in the doubles finals. Both matches went the distance and were won by inches. At a combined thirteen feet, one inch, Ball and Guccione prevailed over the vertically challenged team of Querrey/Johnson who added up to only twelve feet eight inches. Dr. Ivo squeaked it out over Querrey, although Sam has local connections and we were all rooting for him.  

At five two I don't know why I even bother.  Some of these players are ranked around 400 in the world and they'd blow the best players we know off the courts. We all use racquets and yellow balls. That's where the similarities end. I could relate to Sam because in September I got to the finals in singles and doubles of the club championships and lost both in the same day. Just like Sam. At least we have that in common. 

Last year I wrote about the brat attack (Backhand Fronthand - November 2010) and how sportsmanlike Ryan Harrison was, even when he lost.  This year there was an ugly scene when Bobby Reynolds went on a tirade against an official in the earlier rounds. He didn't make it to the finals. Obviously too short. The rest of the guys were all so smiley and easy-going, even during their matches. Querrey signed autographs after he lost his singles and before he played the doubles. Ryan Sweeting is so cute with huge dimples and a twinkle in his eye. He was even unruffled when the guy staying at our house called him for a foot fault. We were so close you could hear the players chatting on the changeover, usually about food. It made me think of the first year TPC hosted the Challenger. Justin Gimelstob was playing and he kept talking to me in between points. Finally, I had to get a little motherly. I told him to concentrate on his tennis.   

This tall tournament was, obviously, all about the serve. It was practically impossible to break Karlovic. When he'd get down in a service game he'd unleash the hounds (Teke's expression) or as Eric would say, bring the big eraser. The serves were clocking in around one thirty-five, but seemed faster. Down love forty? Bring the heater. Get a high one? Splash ball. Over the fence and into the pool.  
   
Club play is a bit different. We think it's such an advantage to serve, but all this talk about holding serve is over-rated. Have you ever noticed that when the score favors an opponent the players with the lower score will say, "on serve" at the changeover? It's never the players who are up 3-2 and about to serve. It's the ones who are down. They may be down, but they're not down a break. And we all know it's not a break until you hold. In women's tennis it's often "on break" more than "on serve". Once you've neglected to ace your opponent, being the server loses its advantage. Anyway, in 3.5 women's tennis there is no such thing as an ace. A ball right down the tee - the most perfect serve ever? That'll be called out. Guaranteed. 

In mixed doubles it's a little easier to win cheap points on the serve. Men don't care for my serve that's low to the backhand. Women dislike that my doubles partner is looming at the net ready to take anything within ten feet of him. Everyone hates returning Eric's serve with its lefty kick. To be extra devious I like to throw in a soft serve when my opponent (especially the guys) least expects it. Watch that sucker hit the fence. Talk about a cheap point. 

I'm a very average, club level player, but I could use some work. I need to perfect my "divorce shot" which is hitting down the middle in doubles. Then I have to learn to keep the ball out of the triples alley. Playing singles, if it goes wide you end up in the doubles alley. In doubles, if the ball is wide it's in the triples alley. That's one big alley. After that I'll work on my overhead so I can hit a splash ball. That is, when my neck gets better and I grow eighteen inches. Until then, I'll keep enjoying from the sidelines.