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I played a Giant RR this weekend - 8 matches yesterday (Saturday), 6 matches today (Sunday). Went 6-2 yesterday, losing 2-3 to two kids. the last match, against the better kid, taught me a couple of things that I thought I might take into today. Basically, since my coach is not around and I can't train much anymore since there are no clubs close by, I am regressing back into my old spin style and that might be the best I can do. But the spin style is still effective but against certain players.
Today, because I went 6-2 yesterday, I was a 3rd seed in my group but the highest rated player (only one two top seeds won their groups, I was in a group with a top seed that was not the top seed from the prelim round). I played the top seed and won a close match 3-2, 11- 9 in the 5th. He is a Seemiller style hitter and sidespinner with anti on the backhand and he blocks well enough to cause many loopers problems. I used to beat him easily in the past but his block consistency and serves have gotten better. I couldn't even p[lay though lets in this match and had to call them, it was that tight lol.
I then played a pips out guy I had played many times before and usually he wins a game off me. I was hoping today would be different but no, he won the first game 11-5 after I was up 4-0 and then goes up in game 2 like 5-1 or something ridiculous if not that. I just tried to claw my way through it because going down 0-2 would have put a lot of pressure on my preferred approach to playing pips which is to attack serves, hits and chop blocks with spin drives and to only push when consistency is absolutely required. The heavens smilled upon me as I managed to come back to win the second game 11-9, won the third game 11-3, but then got caught up and even had a deuce in game 4. But I won 12-10 with a good over the table topspin that was made possible by my extra long arms.
Last match was against a lefty. If I won, I would top the group. IF I lost, there would be a 3 way tie for first and I would almost definitely advance second as the Seemiller blocker had beaten my opponent 3-0 already, I experienced a similar situation about a couple of weeks ago at a tournament at this same club so I was determined not to let it happen again. I played a lefty I had played before and beaten easily when I played him prior. I learned the importance of having observers and how it can make a difference to have a match coach. His match coach told him quite simply to stop playing wide with his serves and to serve more into my middle. After losing the first game 11-4, he lost the second game 11-9. And a combination of some good play and my frustration got him the next two games at 11-8 and 11-9. I then went into defensive lockdown mode and won the last game. But some food for thought for future matches. I do have a playing partner who is a lefty who does this to me sometimes too with a different serve and I usually move to use the forehand but today I was lazy because of exhaustion from the previous day.
In the next round quarterfinal, I play a kid I had lost to the prior day. The main thing that cost me points was bad serve return. I would push his side top serves, or try to attack them hard and then loop the ball off the table or pop them up for third ball kills. And then sometimes, I would push decently into his backhand but he had a pivot to loop the ball inside point into my backhand and he hit some insane shots and was also consistent. Today I developed a different game plan. I decided to roll almost every serve into his backhand and just put pressure on his backhand with mine and challenge him to either pivot to break the pressure or figure out how to rally backhand to backhand against my consistent topspin. There was absolutely no mystery what I was doing or where the ball was going. I just was tired of having to pretend that I needed to run around and hit forehands and just reverted to my old 1800 game of serve to backhand with backhand, loop to backhand with backhand, raise spin and speed if their backhand is not better than mine and if you cannot put the ball on my forehand, I will break you. It worked surprisingly well, A 2-3 loss became a 3-0 win.
Then I got to play the boss in the semi final, the top seed in my group yesterday, 12 year old kid who I've beaten a few times but who I suspect is beyond me now. I actually had a close match with him yesterday that went 3-2. Today I tried to hit powerful backhands but my inconsistency and his control and openings were having none of it. He also knows how to hit my forehand to change the rally. Lost 0-3 with no really close games, I suspect if I played more than once a week or once every two weeks I might do better but I lack the confidence and sharpness to play that kind of player straight up and expect a different result especially in this humid club.
Third place match was against another kid, who had improved quite a bit and beaten some really strong players - he practices a lot with the boss, and it has clearly improved his game. It was really funny, I served my first two serves into the net to start the match. But I stuck to the backhand strategy and it paid dividends. I went down 1-4 or 1-5 but came back to win 11-8. And then as crazy as it sounds, I also went down 0-4 in the next game with some bad serves and weird points. But I managed to turn that game around as well and win it. So it was really funny in game 3 when I actually played well enough to stay even, got a lead at 8-5 and then lost the next 5 points to make it 8-10. Won the next point when my opponent looped off the table one of my weak pushes, but then lost the next point as he smash killed a similar push popup to his short backhand with a pivot forehand. Thankfully I managed to win the 4th game with steadier play and more pushes, pushes I can only get away with for now because these kids mostly play people who do not open on the backhand.
Choppy weekend of play but okay exercise, need some R&R. It's a bit unfortunate that I am going to have to accept this level drop until I can find a decent place to train and a serious practice partner less than 40 miles away. Life is like that.
Today, because I went 6-2 yesterday, I was a 3rd seed in my group but the highest rated player (only one two top seeds won their groups, I was in a group with a top seed that was not the top seed from the prelim round). I played the top seed and won a close match 3-2, 11- 9 in the 5th. He is a Seemiller style hitter and sidespinner with anti on the backhand and he blocks well enough to cause many loopers problems. I used to beat him easily in the past but his block consistency and serves have gotten better. I couldn't even p[lay though lets in this match and had to call them, it was that tight lol.
I then played a pips out guy I had played many times before and usually he wins a game off me. I was hoping today would be different but no, he won the first game 11-5 after I was up 4-0 and then goes up in game 2 like 5-1 or something ridiculous if not that. I just tried to claw my way through it because going down 0-2 would have put a lot of pressure on my preferred approach to playing pips which is to attack serves, hits and chop blocks with spin drives and to only push when consistency is absolutely required. The heavens smilled upon me as I managed to come back to win the second game 11-9, won the third game 11-3, but then got caught up and even had a deuce in game 4. But I won 12-10 with a good over the table topspin that was made possible by my extra long arms.
Last match was against a lefty. If I won, I would top the group. IF I lost, there would be a 3 way tie for first and I would almost definitely advance second as the Seemiller blocker had beaten my opponent 3-0 already, I experienced a similar situation about a couple of weeks ago at a tournament at this same club so I was determined not to let it happen again. I played a lefty I had played before and beaten easily when I played him prior. I learned the importance of having observers and how it can make a difference to have a match coach. His match coach told him quite simply to stop playing wide with his serves and to serve more into my middle. After losing the first game 11-4, he lost the second game 11-9. And a combination of some good play and my frustration got him the next two games at 11-8 and 11-9. I then went into defensive lockdown mode and won the last game. But some food for thought for future matches. I do have a playing partner who is a lefty who does this to me sometimes too with a different serve and I usually move to use the forehand but today I was lazy because of exhaustion from the previous day.
In the next round quarterfinal, I play a kid I had lost to the prior day. The main thing that cost me points was bad serve return. I would push his side top serves, or try to attack them hard and then loop the ball off the table or pop them up for third ball kills. And then sometimes, I would push decently into his backhand but he had a pivot to loop the ball inside point into my backhand and he hit some insane shots and was also consistent. Today I developed a different game plan. I decided to roll almost every serve into his backhand and just put pressure on his backhand with mine and challenge him to either pivot to break the pressure or figure out how to rally backhand to backhand against my consistent topspin. There was absolutely no mystery what I was doing or where the ball was going. I just was tired of having to pretend that I needed to run around and hit forehands and just reverted to my old 1800 game of serve to backhand with backhand, loop to backhand with backhand, raise spin and speed if their backhand is not better than mine and if you cannot put the ball on my forehand, I will break you. It worked surprisingly well, A 2-3 loss became a 3-0 win.
Then I got to play the boss in the semi final, the top seed in my group yesterday, 12 year old kid who I've beaten a few times but who I suspect is beyond me now. I actually had a close match with him yesterday that went 3-2. Today I tried to hit powerful backhands but my inconsistency and his control and openings were having none of it. He also knows how to hit my forehand to change the rally. Lost 0-3 with no really close games, I suspect if I played more than once a week or once every two weeks I might do better but I lack the confidence and sharpness to play that kind of player straight up and expect a different result especially in this humid club.
Third place match was against another kid, who had improved quite a bit and beaten some really strong players - he practices a lot with the boss, and it has clearly improved his game. It was really funny, I served my first two serves into the net to start the match. But I stuck to the backhand strategy and it paid dividends. I went down 1-4 or 1-5 but came back to win 11-8. And then as crazy as it sounds, I also went down 0-4 in the next game with some bad serves and weird points. But I managed to turn that game around as well and win it. So it was really funny in game 3 when I actually played well enough to stay even, got a lead at 8-5 and then lost the next 5 points to make it 8-10. Won the next point when my opponent looped off the table one of my weak pushes, but then lost the next point as he smash killed a similar push popup to his short backhand with a pivot forehand. Thankfully I managed to win the 4th game with steadier play and more pushes, pushes I can only get away with for now because these kids mostly play people who do not open on the backhand.
Choppy weekend of play but okay exercise, need some R&R. It's a bit unfortunate that I am going to have to accept this level drop until I can find a decent place to train and a serious practice partner less than 40 miles away. Life is like that.
