"Are you playing a match?"

[Orange]

In a recent small tournament, my opponent and I each served every other game, called the score before each point when serving, played with three new balls, adjusted the score-keeping device on each changeover and switched sides after each odd game.

During one changeover late in the first set, a player on the next court asked me, "Are you playing a match?"

I replied, "Yes, I'm playing in the same tournament you are."

Her question seemed very odd to me, though, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it as I played. I realize I need to concentrate on the game at hand and not let myself get distracted. The realization that I was being distracted frustrated me. This was my first singles tournament, and I wonder:

Is it typical for players on the next court to ask questions during your match, even during a changeover?
Why would someone ask me whether I was playing a match when it was obvious that I was?
How would you have replied?

[corbind]

I'm curious why she cared if you were just hitting or in a match... I'd have answered same as you did but probably chuckle while doing such.

[tennis tom]

Maybe she was trying to hit on you, was she cute?

[TomT]

Originally Posted by Orange

In a recent small tournament, my opponent and I each served every other game, called the score before each point when serving, played with three new balls, adjusted the score-keeping device on each changeover and switched sides after each odd game.

During one changeover late in the first set, a player on the next court asked me, "Are you playing a match?"

I replied, "Yes, I'm playing in the same tournament you are."

Her question seemed very odd to me, though, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it as I played. I realize I need to concentrate on the game at hand and not let myself get distracted. The realization that I was being distracted frustrated me. This was my first singles tournament, and I wonder:

Is it typical for players on the next court to ask questions during your match, even during a changeover?
Why would someone ask me whether I was playing a match when it was obvious that I was?
How would you have replied?

I was recently playing a league match at a public court, and some people who were waiting for a court asked if we were playing a match, and I said, matter of factly, "yes", with a smile. No problem, they waited and actually got a different court before we were done. Happens a lot to me when I'm playing a match at my local public courts because most of the people who play at those courts aren't in the league.

Your experience (situation), from what you wrote, seems to have been a bit different from that. One can only suppose that it wasn't obvious to the questioner that you were playing a match ... which raises other questions.

Anyway, of course, if you were all playing matches in the same small tournament, then your reply seems most appropriate. In the situation you related I would probably have replied in a bit more sarcastic, but still friendly, way -- maybe something like, "duh", with a nice smile.

[TomT]

On reading the comments by corbind and tennis tom it hadn't occurred to me that she might be hitting on you. Is tennis a great game, or what!?

[corbind]

Hmmmmm, the more you guys mentioned her odd question hitting on him may actually be plausible. It fits the bill for asking a dumb question at an odd time with nothing for her to lose save getting a "duh" response.

[Cindysphinx]

: face palm :

What does a chick have to do to let a guy know she is interested?

Come on, boys. *Pay attention.* She wanted to make contact, maybe flirt a little with the smokin' hot guy on the next court. How else is she supposed to do this? She could say, "Wow, that's some FH you have there!" but then this might make him start missing his FH and then he would blame her.

So she went with the obvious and innocuous, "Are you playing a match?" Orange was supposed to reply with something lighthearted, just to get the conversation going. Maybe, "Yeah, he's tough. How about you? Are you playing a match?" Then she could say, "Yeah, I'm almost done. I'll wait for you at the scorer's table. I'm dying to hear how your match goes."

But noooooooooooooooo. She got the brush off, and now she feels like an idiot.

: repeat face palm :

[pvaudio]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

: face palm :

What does a chick have to do to let a guy know she is interested?

Come on, boys. *Pay attention.* She wanted to make contact, maybe flirt a little with the smokin' hot guy on the next court. How else is she supposed to do this? She could say, "Wow, that's some FH you have there!" but then this might make him start missing his FH and then he would blame her.

So she went with the obvious and innocuous, "Are you playing a match?" Orange was supposed to reply with something lighthearted, just to get the conversation going. Maybe, "Yeah, he's tough. How about you? Are you playing a match?" Then she could say, "Yeah, I'm almost done. I'll wait for you at the scorer's table. I'm dying to hear how your match goes."

But noooooooooooooooo. She got the brush off, and now she feels like an idiot.

: repeat face palm :

I seriously started laughing out loud.

[corbind]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

: face palm :

What does a chick have to do to let a guy know she is interested?

Come on, boys. *Pay attention.* She wanted to make contact, maybe flirt a little with the smokin' hot guy on the next court. How else is she supposed to do this? She could say, "Wow, that's some FH you have there!" but then this might make him start missing his FH and then he would blame her.

So she went with the obvious and innocuous, "Are you playing a match?" Orange was supposed to reply with something lighthearted, just to get the conversation going. Maybe, "Yeah, he's tough. How about you? Are you playing a match?" Then she could say, "Yeah, I'm almost done. I'll wait for you at the scorer's table. I'm dying to hear how your match goes."

But noooooooooooooooo. She got the brush off, and now she feels like an idiot.

: repeat face palm :

I was laughing hard when I read it. Calmed down reading posts below it. Now went back to it and laughing pretty hard again. Cindy you have a way with words that just made my day.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by corbind

I was laughing hard when I read it. Calmed down reading posts below it. Now went back to it and laughing pretty hard again. Cindy you have a way with words that just made my day.

Thanks.

I guess I was projecting. On the very few occasions decades ago when I screwed up my nerve to make the first move on a guy, it flew right by him. Or he pretended it did.

I still feel like an idiot.

[Herdsman76]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

: face palm :

What does a chick have to do to let a guy know she is interested?

Come on, boys. *Pay attention.* She wanted to make contact, maybe flirt a little with the smokin' hot guy on the next court. How else is she supposed to do this? She could say, "Wow, that's some FH you have there!" but then this might make him start missing his FH and then he would blame her.

So she went with the obvious and innocuous, "Are you playing a match?" Orange was supposed to reply with something lighthearted, just to get the conversation going. Maybe, "Yeah, he's tough. How about you? Are you playing a match?" Then she could say, "Yeah, I'm almost done. I'll wait for you at the scorer's table. I'm dying to hear how your match goes."

But noooooooooooooooo. She got the brush off, and now she feels like an idiot.

: repeat face palm :

Yeah I would have loved it if that happened to me but it won't... HaHa

[spot]

Either she was just being friendly or you guys are so bad that she didn't recognize what you were doing as tennis. You can pick which one you would rather go with but I'd stick with friendly.

[Orange]

I can barely type for laughing.

maybe flirt a little with the smokin' hot guy on the next court

I'm thinking that this probably wasn't it, as I'm a 51-year-old not-too-hot woman, so ...

[spiderman123]

Originally Posted by Orange

I can barely type for laughing.



I'm thinking that this probably wasn't it, as I'm a 51-year-old not-too-hot woman, so ...

2012. Every comment stands.

[GlennK]

Originally Posted by spiderman123

2012. Every comment stands.

+1

This one had me laughing out loud.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Orange

I can barely type for laughing.



I'm thinking that this probably wasn't it, as I'm a 51-year-old not-too-hot woman, so ...

Why is Navratilova hanging out at small tournaments?

[mucat]

Originally Posted by Orange

I can barely type for laughing.



I'm thinking that this probably wasn't it, as I'm a 51-year-old not-too-hot woman, so ...

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Cindysphinx]

Originally Posted by Orange

I'm thinking that this probably wasn't it, as I'm a 51-year-old not-too-hot woman, so ...

Ha! All this time I assumed you were a dude.

You know, tennis making me a huge sexist.

Take today. I was meeting three women (including one I had never met) and our pro for clinic. I got there first and saw a strange woman sitting on one of the courts. Next to her was a large hopper of balls, same size as our pro uses. Hmmm. No sign of our pro, and she looked awfully young . . . .

I asked her if she was with our clinic, and she said no. I sat on a nearby court and waited for my group. I saw a guy walk up to her. Ah, I thought. That must be her pro.

Then they started warming up. The hopper was on her side, and she had good strokes. He, um . . . was in dire need of tennis lessons.

So how come I assumed the woman was the student and the man was the pro, to the point of ignoring obvious clues like her sitting there waiting next to a hopper? Ugh.

[sureshs]

Originally Posted by Cindysphinx

Ha! All this time I assumed you were a dude.

You know, tennis making me a huge sexist.

Take today. I was meeting three women (including one I had never met) and our pro for clinic. I got there first and saw a strange woman sitting on one of the courts. Next to her was a large hopper of balls, same size as our pro uses. Hmmm. No sign of our pro, and she looked awfully young . . . .

I asked her if she was with our clinic, and she said no. I sat on a nearby court and waited for my group. I saw a guy walk up to her. Ah, I thought. That must be her pro.

Then they started warming up. The hopper was on her side, and she had good strokes. He, um . . . was in dire need of tennis lessons.

So how come I assumed the woman was the student and the man was the pro, to the point of ignoring obvious clues like her sitting there waiting next to a hopper? Ugh.

Why was the woman strange? Or did you mean it as stranger?

Or was she strange because she was young among a group of, err, mature women?

[spiderman123]

Originally Posted by sureshs

Why was the woman strange? Or did you mean it as stranger?

Or was she strange because she was young among a group of, err, mature women?

She had weight issues.