Sat 23 Apr 2011
Moments when I play above my pay grade
Posted by Bo under Life
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After an hour of doubles with Loren, Jeff, and Bharat yesterday Bharat and I stayed behind to play out our remaining court time with some singles. The score will show that I lost the first three games, then won eight games in a row to be up 5-3, before being unable to hold the streak and ending at a 5-5 tie when we ran out of time. But the story on the court, in my head, and through my eyes, was oh so much more.
During our singles match, in that eight-game streak, I saw a brief glimpse of what tennis must look like from the eyes of a 4.0 player. Everything, from stroke mechanics to the nuances of timing, simply fell into place. First serves were hitting the centerline with speed and spin. Returns were still late, but bare milliseconds earlier than my normal out-wide returns, turning them into cross-court winners. Volleys were falling in, and I was playing my heart out, charging the net on every opportunity.
But of course, nothing lasts forever, and even I missed four set-point opportunities on my serve in a row before giving up the last two games. But, for a brief moment, I felt what life at the next level (in terms of tennis) must be like.
