I saw the finishing line, but fell short

[Tempyst]

Probably the most disgusting choke I ever had. 4-0 lead, one more game to end it. My opponent was clearly frustrated, throwing out curses. I felt pressured and I lost 4-5 (3). I thought I was prepared for these situations :?

Winning Ugly should be arriving soon, think it'll help?

[herosol]

happened before whats worse i was up 5-0 with a 40-30 Match Point, then he plays it to Deuce, i obtain another 2 match points on ADS, then i lose my service, he comes back to win 7-5. Disgusting.

I believe it's the fact you become so relaxed you lose focus, and then you start to think "One more shot, and it's over", then you start missing that "one more shot" and you become frustrated and then boom, you lose without knowing it.

I think it mainly maintaining the mentality that the game is never till its over, and never say one more ball, but prepared to hit 100 if it takes that long to win.

[TonyB]

It's all mental. I was up 4-3 with my opponent serving and the score was 0-40. I had a putaway volley at the net on that point, which would have put me up 5-3 on my serve, which I had not lost the whole match.

Needless to say, I dumped the volley into the net and proceeded to lose that game. Next game, I got broken. Now, I'm down 4-5 and it's my opponent's serve again. Unreal.

Fortunately, I broke back and was able to go on to win the set, but the point is that (and I know it's cliche) it's not over till it's over. Don't start thinking ahead to the next game or next set. Just worry about winning the next point. Period.

And don't "replay" the match in your mind, either. Just because you WERE ahead 4-0 doesn't mean that you deserved to win 5-0 or 6-0. And when your opponent comes back to 4-4, you cannot start thinking back to when you SHOULD have won, because that's ancient history. Just worry about what you're GOING TO DO to win. Keep your head in the match, not stuck in your previous mistakes.

Learn from your mistakes and move forward. Don't dwell on them, because doing that tends to make you commit even MORE mistakes.

[Tennis_Monk]

I read winning ugly a lot of times-- basically the stuff inside it has been discussed adnaseum in this forum and i would be surprised if you find something that hasn't been discussed in this forum.

Regarding losing while being up, it happens to the best of players. It isnt entirely about you either. Sometimes the opponent, desperately looking for something positive to build on, may catch a hot streak and that can change the game. If he won the match, it means he won more points than you --basically he played better.

one will learn from such situations and eventually become a better closer.

[vince916]

lol My greatest comeback was when I was down 0-5 against my friend and it was his service and came back to win 7-6.

[Hokiez]

Definitely mental most of the time. Sometimes you could just run out of gas, be dehydrated, the other guy finds his groove, whatever. There's lots of reasons it can happen. My first year playing in a league with 10 game pro-sets I was up 8-1 and 8-2 and wound up losing as I didn't know how to win (never played before that). After a few matches and realizing I should play to win rather than play not to lose, I started demolishing guys and only lost 8 games in 5 matches last year. Don't sweat it. It happens.

[TonyB]

If he won the match, it means he won more points than you --basically he played better.



I hate to be a stickler about this statement, but it's not true. You can win more points and more games and still lose.

You may win your service game at love (4 points to 0) while your opponent wins his at deuce (5 points to 3), so you've won 7 points to his 5, yet the score is still tied 1-1 after those two games. Take this out to 6-6 and you've got 42 points to his 30. Add a tie-breaker at 7-5 and it's 47-37. You've won 25% MORE points, yet you lost the set.

Anyways, it's just an example, it's not by any means typical. I just wanted to point out that it IS possible to win fewer points and win the match. Same goes for fewer games (0-6, 7-6, 7-6 --- you win 18 games to your opponent's 14 and you still lose).

[i8myshirt]

I guess the old saying "Take it one point at a time" would apply here.
Maybe the finish line by any chance make you more nervious?

[BravoRed691]

I guess the old saying "Take it one point at a time" would apply here.
Maybe the finish line by any chance make you more nervious?

Sorry for your loss...would imagining the finish line naked help?

Br

[equinox]

Singles choke two weeks in a row.

4.5's.

6-2 5-4 40-15 5 MP! Lost 5-7 3-6

Guys game (DTL obh) clicked and was overpowered and run out of puff. BP chances at 3-4 15-40, He hits kicker ace ad and big T serve. Cramping and throwing up didn't help matters. Top allround player with perfect stroke mechanics. Disappointing but not the end of the world. nice guy too.

2-6 6-2 4-1 UP! Lost 4-6
I changed winning game and my team was knocked out finals. Beaten by young hewitt clone, service action and everything including attitude. Who teaches these kids the drive volley?!?!? Dehydrated for a few days afterwards. Kid used heaps of gamemanship, always querying calls, got replayed pt after i returned a 1st serve fault (just) in good faith.. he left the court for 10min+ "coaching" timeout at 2-1..damn i should have called supervisor.. Spectators said i was duded on a call at 4-4 on a GP chance. yes i'm bitter. :(

AW, much can be learned. I'll have to work on my fitness, get healthy and shore up my backhand and general stroke depth.

Positives were i served and volley 1st 2nd and made solid volley and put aways. Even dived volleyed. Won the dlbs from 1-4 down 1st 6-4 6-3.

[Tennis_Monk]

I hate to be a stickler about this statement, but it's not true. You can win more points and more games and still lose.

You may win your service game at love (4 points to 0) while your opponent wins his at deuce (5 points to 3), so you've won 7 points to his 5, yet the score is still tied 1-1 after those two games. Take this out to 6-6 and you've got 42 points to his 30. Add a tie-breaker at 7-5 and it's 47-37. You've won 25% MORE points, yet you lost the set.

Anyways, it's just an example, it's not by any means typical. I just wanted to point out that it IS possible to win fewer points and win the match. Same goes for fewer games (0-6, 7-6, 7-6 --- you win 18 games to your opponent's 14 and you still lose).

Its entirely possible. May be it shud be worded as points that "matter"!.
However i would still say that within the rules of game , the opponent played better and he won.

[veryfatchocobo]

I was winning 7-3 (8-games one set match). I had a matchpoint and still lost in the tiebreak.

In another match (this was an extremely important match), I was losing 3-7 and ended up winning 9-7. Talk about streaky and mental.

[Tempyst]

Bah, better to choke on a game now than choke during the HS season :D

[stav_babolat]

Ye, i was 4-1 up in the first set of a match the other day.... i ENDED UP LOSING 7-5 5-7 6-4, AND I REALLY SHOULD HAVE WON IT 6-2 7-5...........................

Agianst the same person about 4 months ago aswell, i was 7-5 1-6 5-3 up and i lost 7-6 in the 3rd. It happens................

[Bungalo Bill]

Probably the most disgusting choke I ever had. 4-0 lead, one more game to end it. My opponent was clearly frustrated, throwing out curses. I felt pressured and I lost 4-5 (3). I thought I was prepared for these situations :?

Winning Ugly should be arriving soon, think it'll help?

It will give you ideas. To me, nothing replaces a hard workout that teaches you discipline, focus, mental toughness and that "extra" level you need to get to that will finish off your opponent.

My coach used to say "imagine the other person just took your 5 year old daughter and you have a weapon. He is face to face with you right now. Drive that weapon in his heart and tear it out."

I said, "how many cups of coffee did you have today coach?"