Hi tech tournament today. Scoring, organization and stats through mobile app !!
First opponent surprised to see me "Do you know the rules ?" yes, and here is 11-3, 11-7, 11-1 for you ! LOL, but he was not strong.
LOL not for long, next game, i'm facing a much tougher guy, around my level. But i get really spanked. No warm-up. I was refereeing a match and called immediately for this one. I really failed at all levels. Especially not moving at all, and can't return serves. Also, the guy was waiting for the ball completely on his BH side, covering the whole table from there ! normally it should be easy to take advantage of this for example serving down the line, or from the middle of the table but basically thats my worst match i can remember in a long time.
Next, a chopper with LP who seldoms attack. I beat a clone (same style, about same level) of this player very easily last Thursday 3-0 2-1 so I was full of confidence and rightly so i won the first 11-4. But i was overconfident and then he made some subtle changes and won 11-3. I was utterly angry against myself, feeling i didn't focus enough and put him back totally in the match. I never recovered mentally from that, i didn't move well, and lost 3rd and 4th not by much , but maybe 3 or 4 too many topspin or smash, that I should put in. Should congratulate him, but its more my own failure. Especially that he almost never attacked and didn't even have very good serves.
Next chopper with SP, leftie, he attacks much more than the previous guy, but i feel his consistency is a bit below. So i should logically win. I don't want to do the same mistakes, and I am focused from the start. I win easily the first set. In the second, its more of a fight, and I start to lose confidence and move less well, but i still manage to stay ahead till the end 11-9. I think the most difficult part is behind, but my level goes down another gear in the 3rd, i can't return those long serves with FH attack any more. I try to stick to him but he wins it 9. in the 4th, i don't play much better, he got the better start, but i don't wanna give up because i feel a 5th set would be very dangerous for me today, given how weak I feel mentally. I don't play very well, there are (too) many pushing or short game rallies but i fight for everything and win it 9. Not glorious
Last, a guy about my level, or just below ? his BH is consistent but he cannot really put too much spin acceleration with it, a good and powerful FH attack, he can attack 3 or 4 in a row, but I feel his attacks lack speed and spin variation which means its not difficult for me to control and block.
Again, I'm not moving at all, and tactically this guy manages to play in my BH. I can't take the initiative most of the match, and I have to morph into a blocker ( at the table) and try to resist most of the match. I win the first set 13-11 against the odds as i was behind all the time, i don't know how. I win the 2nd 11-7 with the momentum, the only set where i could attack FH. It looks like i'm set up for a 3-0 win after all, this scenario happens quite often against the underdog (tough 1st set won with some luck then cruising).. but i get a bit tired perhaps and my block wall starts to be seriously damaged. He pockets 3rd and 4th and at this stage it really looks dire for me. I tell to myself that i have to be more agressive and stay positive, but my legs are not moving much still. I manage to get a good start in the 5th by changing a bit my serves (short with more backspin to his FH or middle) 5-1 for me looks good, 9-5 but he fights and he starts to close on me 9-9... I finish with the serve, i make at last a good combo now i'm serving 10-9 for the match....
he saves it with his first big TCHOOOO of the match, (i've been tchooing a lot as usual).... then comes his second bigger tCHOOOOO at 11-10 for him... i feel really like Sh*T... next point, in the middle of the rally, the ball his the net for him, and bounces on my side.. just behind the net on my FH side... :-(
By some miracle i get this ball back, and win the point big TCHOOOO for me ! but i still don't know how i'm gonna get 2 more points... Fortunately, he doesn't play well the next 2 points, and i win this one. Not glorious at all, but at least i end the day with 3victories/2defeats, i would have really felt like crap if i had lost again this one.
Not a good tournament for me, i had much better expectations given how well i'm playing at training, i was moving so well Thursday and Friday again. If there was a rating system here, i would have lost points today. I played a lot below my usual level. I have to understand how to manage better my emotions, how to prepare better for matches, keep the focus, not panic, and be able to analyze and switch tactics.