Losing player gives advice after championship loss

chatt_town · 10-06-2012, 05:58 PM

I've been playing in a 4.5 league for about 4 years now. I've had some success as far as getting to the playoffs. However, I until this year never got out of the first round of the playoffs. So anyway, this guy who I've played some 7 times meet in the finals. The last 4 have gone 3 sets. He's won one in a tiebreaker and so have I. He beat me in the season match 11-9 in the breaker. So the matches have gotten very close. I had one the last 3 out of 4. So he beats me 3-6 in the first and I decide that I'm giving him too much time and decide to try a chip and charge up both lines strategy and to my surprise not only did it work, it worked very well. I beat him 6-2 in the second. The third is much of the same. So after the match he starts telling me...."This is not fun tennis" "I wasn't looking forward to it". So ask why. He starts going on and on about how 4.0's shouldn't be allowed to play in the 4.5 league because my sole objective is to take as much pace off the ball. I asked him if he thought it was fun for me the first two times we played when he beat me like 1 and 2 both times. He then walked me onto the court to no man's land and got in a return position and said "Do you realize I played from here in the whole night". I said "exactly"....so then he gets real ticked and says "You are not suppose to play tennis from No man's land"....I say...."I didn't play from there...you did" He says to me...."you've got one of the best backhands the league and I don't understand why you didn't use it". I told him I don't remember him ripping any big time backhands up the line.

I just don't understand how you are gonna tell me how I should play after I just won the last two sets. Has anyone else ever experience this(losing player telling you how you should play although you just beat them)?

Peace,

Chatt_town

LeeD · 10-06-2012, 06:02 PM

Sure, you didn't hit into his sweetspot, so you basically cheated him of his victory. And next time, you better hit right to his sweetspot, just the way he likes it.

chatt_town · 10-06-2012, 06:08 PM

lol...dayum...are you his brother...you sound just about like him.lol That's the exact same thing I got from the conversation. Hell....I was thinking I guess I should just feel bad about winning at all this way. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeD

Sure, you didn't hit into his sweetspot, so you basically cheated him of his victory. And next time, you better hit right to his sweetspot, just the way he likes it.

LeeD · 10-06-2012, 06:17 PM

Just an old fart talking...
I've played a few competitive matches back in the old days, and heard many and just about most of the excuses known to tennis.
Heck, I made up quite a few on my own!
Usually, the loser mutters his excuses to his friends, but sometimes, they like to lower your glow of victory.

slowfox · 10-06-2012, 06:21 PM

That guy sounds like a sore loser. But who am I to judge? I just started a thread in Tips about how much I hate dead balls. That's my excuse... lol

NTRPolice · 10-06-2012, 06:39 PM

I used to be one of those players. I would complain about the junk people would throw just to try and throw me off my game. I've gotten past this point.

Slinging junk is half mind-game and half strategy. It takes little to no skill and relies on the opponent to rush points, take wild swings and mentally collapse. Way to win? Beat them with skill. If you cannot beat them with skill then you deserve to lose anyway because they were the better player overall.

If I find myself playing an "inferior" or "unorthodox" player and im somehow losing its probably because im making too many errors. If your opponent was better than you all he would have had to do was rally out points with you and win in the long run. It really sounds like he was trying for too much pace because he was playing a pusher (you) and got frustrated and over-hit himself to a loss.

Sounds like you're the 4.5 and hes the 4.0 since he rushes points to his own demise. A 4.5 should not be complaining about "lack of pace" or where a player is standing in the court.

tennis tom · 10-06-2012, 08:23 PM

He's a bad sport.

Mick · 10-06-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chatt_town

I just won the last two sets. Has anyone else ever experience this(losing player telling you how you should play although you just beat them)?

some time ago, a new guy came to the courts where i played and started to give everyone advice on how to play better tennis. My buddy who was a much better player than me wasn't pleased, so he asked the guy to play me and show us all how to play proper tennis. Me, I was out to embarass the guy because he was way below the level of the people who played there but he talked way too much.

So, I beat him 6-0, 6-0 and he never won more than 2 points in a game. Right after the loss, he said "Ok, you got me but you still don't hit hard enough"

sundaypunch · 10-07-2012, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chatt_town

I've been playing in a 4.5 league for about 4 years now. I've had some success as far as getting to the playoffs. However, I until this year never got out of the first round of the playoffs. So anyway, this guy who I've played some 7 times meet in the finals. The last 4 have gone 3 sets. He's won one in a tiebreaker and so have I. He beat me in the season match 11-9 in the breaker. So the matches have gotten very close. I had one the last 3 out of 4. So he beats me 3-6 in the first and I decide that I'm giving him too much time and decide to try a chip and charge up both lines strategy and to my surprise not only did it work, it worked very well. I beat him 6-2 in the second. The third is much of the same. So after the match he starts telling me...."This is not fun tennis" "I wasn't looking forward to it". So ask why. He starts going on and on about how 4.0's shouldn't be allowed to play in the 4.5 league because my sole objective is to take as much pace off the ball. I asked him if he thought it was fun for me the first two times we played when he beat me like 1 and 2 both times. He then walked me onto the court to no man's land and got in a return position and said "Do you realize I played from here in the whole night". I said "exactly"....so then he gets real ticked and says "You are not suppose to play tennis from No man's land"....I say...."I didn't play from there...you did" He says to me...."you've got one of the best backhands the league and I don't understand why you didn't use it". I told him I don't remember him ripping any big time backhands up the line.

I just don't understand how you are gonna tell me how I should play after I just won the last two sets. Has anyone else ever experience this(losing player telling you how you should play although you just beat them)?

Peace,

Chatt_town

You should have told him that he shouldn't be playing in a 4.5 league if he can't beat a 4.0 that hits softly.

DaynaDawn · 10-07-2012, 09:34 PM

Sounds like someone can't except losing. You can never satisfy all the people. Sounds like you handled him in the most mature way, by not being a smart-alack. You won (2 ways)...nothing more needed saying!

tvu · 10-07-2012, 10:58 PM

Good win! Some people just like to think that real tennis is mindless ball bashing. Any other ways of winning is sub par, and not manly enough.

anubis · 10-08-2012, 05:12 AM

I get the opposite. I usually lose my matches, and I always experience the winning player complimenting me left and right about how I played. People seem to always say I have an "amazing" forehand, or I always hit with good pace, or have a backhand that "they had a lot of trouble with". Well, if I was so good, I would have beaten them, right?

I don't get complimenting people like that. I never do, if I beat someone, I just say thanks, and shake their hand.

emilyhex · 10-08-2012, 05:46 AM

It sounds like your opponent is frustrated because he couldn't adjust to your pace, which by the way, is part of the game. You both played by the same set of rules and you won fair and square. As for the no man's land comment, it depends... sometimes you DO play tennis from no man's land.

If only everyone would give me short balls to my forehand, now THAT is how you play tennis the right way

r2473 · 10-08-2012, 08:34 AM

You should have apologized for the way you played, told him he was right, etc.

Then next time, play the exact same way. Maybe even apologize on changeovers, telling him that you can't help it, but you're trying to get better. Maybe hold your hand up and apologize after you bring him into no man's land and he hits (yet another) error.

If anybody asks, tell them that this guy is by far the superior player, etc.

Do it all without a hint of sarcasm, as if you are being dead serious. See how long you can string this guy on. See how big this guy's ego really is.

floridatennisdude · 10-08-2012, 08:57 AM

Opponent needs to learn to play against players and not some number the computer assigns to them. You either win or lose in sports. Winning ugly is better than losing pretty, but both are preferred to losing ugly.

NTRPolice · 10-08-2012, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2473

You should have apologized for the way you played, told him he was right, etc.

Then next time, play the exact same way. Maybe even apologize on changeovers, telling him that you can't help it, but you're trying to get better. Maybe hold your hand up and apologize after you bring him into no man's land and he hits (yet another) error.

If anybody asks, tell them that this guy is by far the superior player, etc.

Do it all without a hint of sarcasm, as if you are being dead serious. See how long you can string this guy on. See how big this guy's ego really is.

lol.

Yesterday, a guy I beat said he "let me win" because "I looked like a wounded animal and he couldnt help but feel bad for me". He actually asked me after if I was tired or if I intentionally slowed down. I said "both, because my knee is sore, and I was tired from the first two sets." but the reality is that downshifting was the right thing to do. After goofing off for two sets, it was time to "win" and play solid tennis.

Basically, I try my best to win with skill, big shots, nice serves, ect. What happens at this level though, because the average speed of the rallys are relatively slow and balls are too short in the court, its really hard to make a lot of winners especially if your opponent is making very little errors.

In the 3rd set, I just rallied every point out with him. I knew that statistically I will have a decisive victory over him provided that I just cut down on all my errors. I tried to "play him" in the first two sets but it wasnt working out.

The whole "you seemed like a wounded animal at the end and I couldnt help noticing it and when it was 4-0 I gave up" commentary at the end made me laugh.

Larrysümmers · 10-08-2012, 09:11 AM

a 4.0 sandbagging a 4.5 league. when will these scum ever learn

HunterST · 10-11-2012, 03:45 PM

haha I think a lot of people have had thoughts like that while losing to junkballers. "This guy can't even play. Why doesn't he learn to actually hit a shot?" Most of us don't have the audacity to actually say stuff like that, though, because we realize we're actually just frustrated that we suck.

chatt_town · 10-15-2012, 07:34 PM

That is one of the funniest things I read on these boards. The funny thing is that is something I would do.lol I'd keep my hand up for like 10 seconds after leaving balls in no man's land for six or 7 straight shots and as he's picking his lung up from the ground.lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2473

You should have apologized for the way you played, told him he was right, etc.

Then next time, play the exact same way. Maybe even apologize on changeovers, telling him that you can't help it, but you're trying to get better. Maybe hold your hand up and apologize after you bring him into no man's land and he hits (yet another) error.

If anybody asks, tell them that this guy is by far the superior player, etc.

Do it all without a hint of sarcasm, as if you are being dead serious. See how long you can string this guy on. See how big this guy's ego really is.

Gonzalito17 · 10-16-2012, 02:55 PM

Tell him you beat him with your B game and that you didn't need to play your best tennis.

This guy sounds like he's trying to make you feel like a loser and him the winner. Some people will do anything. Nice try.

10-06-2012, 05:58 PM	#1
chatt_town Professional Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,139	Losing player gives advice after championship loss I've been playing in a 4.5 league for about 4 years now. I've had some success as far as getting to the playoffs. However, I until this year never got out of the first round of the playoffs. So anyway, this guy who I've played some 7 times meet in the finals. The last 4 have gone 3 sets. He's won one in a tiebreaker and so have I. He beat me in the season match 11-9 in the breaker. So the matches have gotten very close. I had one the last 3 out of 4. So he beats me 3-6 in the first and I decide that I'm giving him too much time and decide to try a chip and charge up both lines strategy and to my surprise not only did it work, it worked very well. I beat him 6-2 in the second. The third is much of the same. So after the match he starts telling me...."This is not fun tennis" "I wasn't looking forward to it". So ask why. He starts going on and on about how 4.0's shouldn't be allowed to play in the 4.5 league because my sole objective is to take as much pace off the ball. I asked him if he thought it was fun for me the first two times we played when he beat me like 1 and 2 both times. He then walked me onto the court to no man's land and got in a return position and said "Do you realize I played from here in the whole night". I said "exactly"....so then he gets real ticked and says "You are not suppose to play tennis from No man's land"....I say...."I didn't play from there...you did" He says to me...."you've got one of the best backhands the league and I don't understand why you didn't use it". I told him I don't remember him ripping any big time backhands up the line. I just don't understand how you are gonna tell me how I should play after I just won the last two sets. Has anyone else ever experience this(losing player telling you how you should play although you just beat them)? Peace, Chatt_town

10-06-2012, 06:39 PM	#6
NTRPolice Rookie Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 386	I used to be one of those players. I would complain about the junk people would throw just to try and throw me off my game. I've gotten past this point. Slinging junk is half mind-game and half strategy. It takes little to no skill and relies on the opponent to rush points, take wild swings and mentally collapse. Way to win? Beat them with skill. If you cannot beat them with skill then you deserve to lose anyway because they were the better player overall. If I find myself playing an "inferior" or "unorthodox" player and im somehow losing its probably because im making too many errors. If your opponent was better than you all he would have had to do was rally out points with you and win in the long run. It really sounds like he was trying for too much pace because he was playing a pusher (you) and got frustrated and over-hit himself to a loss. Sounds like you're the 4.5 and hes the 4.0 since he rushes points to his own demise. A 4.5 should not be complaining about "lack of pace" or where a player is standing in the court. __________________ "In the 1980's two men dominated--sometimes each other, most of the time everyone else."

10-06-2012, 08:23 PM	#7
tennis tom Hall Of Fame Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,860	He's a bad sport. __________________ "...the human emotional system was not designed to endure the mental rigors of a tennis match." Dr. Allen Fox

10-08-2012, 08:34 AM	#14
r2473 Legend Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,412	You should have apologized for the way you played, told him he was right, etc. Then next time, play the exact same way. Maybe even apologize on changeovers, telling him that you can't help it, but you're trying to get better. Maybe hold your hand up and apologize after you bring him into no man's land and he hits (yet another) error. If anybody asks, tell them that this guy is by far the superior player, etc. Do it all without a hint of sarcasm, as if you are being dead serious. See how long you can string this guy on. See how big this guy's ego really is. __________________ “An ounce of bacon is worth a pound ounce of prevention.” Last edited by r2473 : 10-08-2012 at 08:38 AM.

10-16-2012, 02:55 PM	#20
Gonzalito17 Professional Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bradenton, FL Posts: 1,071	Tell him you beat him with your B game and that you didn't need to play your best tennis. This guy sounds like he's trying to make you feel like a loser and him the winner. Some people will do anything. Nice try. __________________ Dolgopolov Marcelo Rios Volkl Yonex NB atptour.com Guga Djokovic Radwanska Serena Bradenton Tennis-prose.com Woz Tomic BBaker Fred Perry Key Biscayne