First Double Bagel League Match

[SlapChop]

Well I have beat my first opponent in a league match 6-0 6-0. I have given out bagels before but this was my first in a recorded setting. Honestly I felt bad but I couldn't let up.

It was my first match of the season and truthfully I think my opponent was a better player than I. He seemed to be just hitting out or getting caught in the net and it just wasn't going his way.

When we were warming up I thought I was in real trouble. He was hitting pretty accurately and with a heavier pace than I usually hit with. I think my main advantage was that he didn't have a serve that he could use as a weapon, so right off the bat I could start controlling the point. One I got ahead in the match a actually slowed down my pace an focused heavily on my accuracy.

I have a terrible tendency to give up sets if I get too comfortable or stat thinking ahead of the current point. I am also not in the best long distance conditioning so I have trouble pacing myself at times. This worked in my favor as the game went on I was expending less energy and still winning points.

Generally I play with people I know so if I win in such a fashion I don't feel bad. I kinda felt bad as the match continued on and his game started unraveling. I was tempted to throw a game but I was afraid doing so may cost me the match.

 

[Steady Eddy]

It's competition. He'll get over it. Or at least he should. It's true that the two of you could have been much closer in skill than the score indicates.

 

[NTexas]

I thought any match with more than 2 breaks of your opponents serve was considered non competitive and was a bad thing to do in league matches?

 

[jdubbs]

If he was a harder hitter, sounds like you kept the ball in and that led your way to success. Congratulations, that works well really up to mid level 4.5.
Played a big hitting 4.0 on Sat and won 6-0, 6-2. He had a monster forehand, but his lack of understanding of Wardlaw's Directionals meant he was missing it a lot trying to change direction on shots that sailed out.

 

[SlapChop]

I thought any match with more than 2 breaks of your opponents serve was considered non competitive and was a bad thing to do in league matches?

This was quite a competitive match despite the score. All point were hard earned. There were some extended rallies and I ran down alot of balls that probably should have gotten away from me. He was having trouble putting away the point after he moved me out of position.

If he was a harder hitter, sounds like you kept the ball in and that led your way to success. Congratulations, that works well really up to mid level 4.5.
Played a big hitting 4.0 on Sat and won 6-0, 6-2. He had a monster forehand, but his lack of understanding of Wardlaw's Directionals meant he was missing it a lot trying to change direction on shots that sailed out.

What is interesting about this match is that I could be suspect to using a pusher strategy in this match by keeping the ball in. I felt that it would be poor sportsmanship to attack the net or play aggressive given the score of the game. I resided to primarily hitting from the baseline only coming into the net if it was to play a short ball or a drop shot. we did have several 10+ shot rallies with good movement occurring on both sides of the court.

 

[NTRPolice]

Havnt won 0-0 in a while. Best i've done is 1-2. I've been giving out less than 5 games per match recently, but I dont think a 0-0 is going to happen any time soon, lol.

The gap between the top team in our flight and us is pretty big. We're second place. With just our line in particular, we lost to them 2-2. And... we've been beating other teams with less than 5 games pretty frequently.

Keep up the good work soldier!

It works pretty good well above that level tbh

Agreed.

However, "keeping the ball in" at 5.0 also requires that you dont just hit sitters either lol. In 6.0 you can literally keep the ball in anywhere in the court and you have a high probability of winning.

 

[tennisdad65]

Consistent players tend to hand out more bagels.. Players who go for their shots (and miss) normally lose a game or two to a weaker opponent.

 

[Cindysphinx]

Congratulations! It isn't easy to double-bagel anyone who has the same rating or even one level below you.

I have eaten one double-bagel and given out two. That means I'm ahead of the game!!