Well, the tourney for our team didn't go well, we got bumped out of group with 0-2 team record.
My two singles I lost vs better players, both 5 sets. These were players at 2000-2100 level, I am glad I can now compete vs this level, even if the winning results are not anywhere near 50%. I caused them trouble and at that level in a match where no one wants to lose, it is a really good sign of my progress in 2018.
I got up at 0700 hrs after a long prior day mission at NYISC and late dinner (anyone wanna call it a midnight breakfast?), man, I really slept in right? Took 2.5 hrs to make it 14 miles to NYISC. Had time to hit a bit. Tourney finished by 1800 hrs... in comes PP Holic !!!
What do you think PP Holic had on his mind coming to club? Yeah, you got it right. Beat up on Der_Echte after he had been on his feet all day after two long days of hitting.
What do you think Der_Echte did? Of course I hit Rambo loops back and forth with PP Holic for a straight hour just out of joy to see him and hit it around !!
I do say, every damn time I think I improved and can give PP Holic moar trouble... damn it (or Bless it) PP Holic improves the same amount and is still better than me. I sound real down on that, but I really think this is better. We sharpen each other and obviously, when I was gone, we both had people to sharpen us and get us to improve, that is a Win-Win by any standard.
Anyone watching us bang it and spin it would appreciate beauty. (Der_Echte is one ugly dude, but I mean PP Holic's cut arms and Fh looping)
So PP Holic wears me out again, plays a match vs me at 25-50% power where I can barely win, has me play vs some 1900-2000 club players to wear me out even moar, then takes to table 1 where one of his TT buddies is waiting for me, an upper 2000s to low 2100s C-Pen attacker with LP on BH for a mix-it-up. I had been on my feet and wore out for maybe 12 hours at the club (not including the standing on subway).
What did Der_Echte do? I went to the front desk and had them pop me open a Corona to find my beach in NYC to power me enough to start hitting again.
Somehow I managed to find some energy and fight fight fight. I want to say I don't know how I got by this C-Pen player in 5, but I do know, I got courage to attack and controlled the point to get the chances. I wasn't doing this a year ago vs this level a player, they would have dispatched me 3-0 or a pesky 3-1.
I was ready to leave the club, but the other player and the C-Penner wanted some more of me, so I agreed to let them polish me off 2-1 in close 11-9 finish so they would leave me alone and let me exit the facility.
PP Holic and I took the long subway ride towards the location of Carl's secret trap door, we got out at a subway station a mile or two away, walked for 40 minutes in 1-2 degree Celcius NYC wind, located a Pino's pizzeria near Carl's place and polished of a monster pizza while we talked of times present and past.
PP Holic is good people, as well as the rest of the NYC Goonie crew, so everyone should arrange an adventure like this, it could happen easy with a plan or random.