Brian,
If the dude is 2200 and your are 1700, then there are a lot of things going on where dude is simply better.
If the dude is closer to your level, then there are reasons why dude's level is near your level and it is your mission to discover the things that make it so.
What you seem to be describing is you are playing into dude's strong points and practiced ssequences. Could also be he is giving you balls from his SP that you are not comfortable with. (I know I am not comfortable playing fast shots close to table that have little spin) He might be controlling your services (or you not doing well on serve) and he is likely dictating the kind of point with his serve.
You need to try different things in the discovery process that you might or might not be able to do. One thing right not that you can put into play is to serve short with initially heavy spin and vary to light. If he is near your level, he will not be consistent in aggressively returning these... PLUS, also perhaps a better thing, is that he is likely to give you slower balls with light spin - those are much easier and familiar for you in all likelihood.
You could try to serve side under deep on endline both slow and fast curving right into the middle. Later, after you establish your heavy spin, you can go dead and low and tight, or dead into him.
On serve receive, if he is going fast and deep varying from side under to side to side top and you are not good receiving fast/deep serves, then you will play much lower level vs him - he is setting up the kind of rally he wants and you may be making it easy for him. If you have not learned how to get to the bounce with a light grip and do a tiny go through the ball, now is a good time to practice through lost points.
One bailout emergency adjustment would be to take a half step right when he serves either left or right and get the ball coming to your wing where you can be consistent in returning with underspin deep. Some SP hitters, especially those with real old rubbers and LOVE to play with a slippery ball (old BTY G40+) simply thrive on hitting through underspin.
When SP can hit through spin, what is left to you is to be able to block near the bounce with direction control to middle or a wide angle. This is a good opportunity to practice getting to the bounce with a loose grip and take the ball on the rise below net level. Once you can start doing that, SP dude realizes you disarmed perhaps his best shot and might not have much else left to fight with (if he is near your level)