First match against NTRP 5.0

[cincyMike]

I have been playing 4.5 for the past 2 seasons in a local interclub league. Up to this point I usually play court 3 for our 4.5/5.0 team because the top 2 courts are the 5.0+ level. I went 14-1 and was convinced I could hang with some of these guys after seeing them play. So the other day I emailed a guy from the league that plays for another team, he is NTRP 5.0 and is currently in the top 10 in Mens Open singles for the Ohio Valley rankings, I asked him if he would be willing to hit with me and fortunately he turned out to be super nice and said he would.

We finally got to play last night and unfortunately due to thunder storms the match was cut short. I don't know if he just came out nervous or what but when we stopped play I had gotten up 4-1 on him. I came out playing the best tennis of my life, I had no nerves and just played loose because I expected to be obliterated. I may take that mindset into every match if it helps me play better. We had some great long rallies and received many compliments as we left from some of the other guys at the courts. I couldn't have been happier with how I played because I held my own and hopefully have played my way into being a regular hitting partner for this guy.

I just wanted to share my great experience with everyone and let others know to not be afraid to approach other players who you think are too good for you or who you think are above your skill set. It was a great experience and I am already looking forward to our next match.

 

[user92626]

Awesome, Mike.

I miss that feeling. The feeling that you play unbelievably well against someone whom you kinda expect to lose to.


Was it just a lot of intense rallying and someone eventually missed or hit a winner?

 

[jdubbs]

I have been playing 4.5 for the past 2 seasons in a local interclub league. Up to this point I usually play court 3 for our 4.5/5.0 team because the top 2 courts are the 5.0+ level. I went 14-1 and was convinced I could hang with some of these guys after seeing them play. So the other day I emailed a guy from the league that plays for another team, he is NTRP 5.0 and is currently in the top 10 in Mens Open singles for the Ohio Valley rankings, I asked him if he would be willing to hit with me and fortunately he turned out to be super nice and said he would.

We finally got to play last night and unfortunately due to thunder storms the match was cut short. I don't know if he just came out nervous or what but when we stopped play I had gotten up 4-1 on him. I came out playing the best tennis of my life, I had no nerves and just played loose because I expected to be obliterated. I may take that mindset into every match if it helps me play better. We had some great long rallies and received many compliments as we left from some of the other guys at the courts. I couldn't have been happier with how I played because I held my own and hopefully have played my way into being a regular hitting partner for this guy.

I just wanted to share my great experience with everyone and let others know to not be afraid to approach other players who you think are too good for you or who you think are above your skill set. It was a great experience and I am already looking forward to our next match.

That's great, it's really fun to play someone a little better. One thing I can say from playing 5.0s fairly regularly (I'm a 4.5) is I get more pumped up for those matches, so my footwork is better, I'm blasting serves, and I'm not afraid to go for shots. I figure its my only chance to make it competitive. And it makes for fun tennis.

Maybe you're going to move up to 5.0 soon!

 

[LeeD]

Pessimist that I am, I'm going to warn you against feeling good about your play right now.
He knew you were a 4.5. You played very well. Rain shortenned.
Given a 2 out of 3 set match, he could have beaten you 7-5, 6-0, 6-0.
4-1 lead is not all that much, unless one of you can hold serve like Isner.

 

[cincyMike]

Pessimist that I am, I'm going to warn you against feeling good about your play right now.
He knew you were a 4.5. You played very well. Rain shortenned.
Given a 2 out of 3 set match, he could have beaten you 7-5, 6-0, 6-0.
4-1 lead is not all that much, unless one of you can hold serve like Isner.

And I am very realistic and will continue to have the mindset that I will most likely get spanked next time we play. That helps ease the nerves if nothing else. I definitely know I still have a lot of room for improvement in my game but I was just stating that this was some validation that my game has come a long way in the past year that I have started playing tennis again.

I started playing competitive last fall in our local Cincinnati interclub league. This is non USTA so the levels will vary, but given that, most of the players are the same as in our local USTA 4.5 league. When I started in the Fall I began in the 4.0 Conf 1 league playing court 1. I went 16-0 and for the Spring Session moved up to our 4.5 team and played court 1, I went 14-1 in that league. I have also played in the 4.5/5.0 league in both sessions and went 7-1 on that team. This can all be validated at www.gcita.org for the people who like to call BS on statistics.

I am playing in a mens open tournament in Dayton this weekend and am fully expecting to get smacked around the court at some point in the tournament depending on luck of the draw. I will report back with how that goes.

As to answer another previous question, he did seem to make unforced errors by going for too much. I am a very defensive player who gets absolutely every ball back in play unless you hit it past me and I move very well. I think he was starting to get impatient in our long rallies and was trying to do too much on balls he shouldn't. He seemed to be playing somewhat tight, every ball I hit to his backhand he was pretty much slicing short, most were falling in a comfortable approach shot range for myself.

 

[Tmano]

I have been playing 4.5 for the past 2 seasons in a local interclub league. Up to this point I usually play court 3 for our 4.5/5.0 team because the top 2 courts are the 5.0+ level. I went 14-1 and was convinced I could hang with some of these guys after seeing them play. So the other day I emailed a guy from the league that plays for another team, he is NTRP 5.0 and is currently in the top 10 in Mens Open singles for the Ohio Valley rankings, I asked him if he would be willing to hit with me and fortunately he turned out to be super nice and said he would.

We finally got to play last night and unfortunately due to thunder storms the match was cut short. I don't know if he just came out nervous or what but when we stopped play I had gotten up 4-1 on him. I came out playing the best tennis of my life, I had no nerves and just played loose because I expected to be obliterated. I may take that mindset into every match if it helps me play better. We had some great long rallies and received many compliments as we left from some of the other guys at the courts. I couldn't have been happier with how I played because I held my own and hopefully have played my way into being a regular hitting partner for this guy.

I just wanted to share my great experience with everyone and let others know to not be afraid to approach other players who you think are too good for you or who you think are above your skill set. It was a great experience and I am already looking forward to our next match.

Good job Mike, but maybe next time it would harder....however it's a good bust of confidence knowing you can deal with them but don't feel achived with your result.

 

[jdubbs]

Defensive specialists are some of the hardest players to play. Not junkballers, not pushers, but a high level counterpuncher who moves well, keeps the ball deep, is very difficult because they always make you hit one more shot.
Kudos to you. You must be extremely fit and move really well.

 

[psYcon]

Try playing a USTA 5.0 league singles specialist. Most likely you will be obliterated. There's a difference between playing a 5.0 rated player (who could very well be just a doubles 5.0) vs a true 5.0 singles specialist.

 

[floydcouncil]

Try playing a USTA 5.0 league singles specialist. Most likely you will be obliterated. There's a difference between playing a 5.0 rated player (who could very well be just a doubles 5.0) vs a true 5.0 singles specialist.

VERY true. I know plenty of 5.0 rated guys who play mostly dubs here. If they were to play a young, mainly singles 5.0 player, then they would be handled with ease: 2 or 3 games at the most.

 

[Chopin]

These ratings are somewhat malleable. I've lost sets to players ranked below me in the past.

Also, based on the results this man presents, it's just as likely that he's good enough to play with the 5.0s as it is him just getting lucky.

 

[cincyMike]

These ratings are somewhat malleable. I've lost sets to players ranked below me in the past.

Also, based on the results this man presents, it's just as likely that he's good enough to play with the 5.0s as it is him just getting lucky.

Well I played in my first tennis tournament this past weekend and played in the mens open singles and doubles. I ended up losing in a third set tie break to a guy who plays for Wright States tennis team in the finals after winning my first two matches. I had a match point and dumped a forehand volley into the net with the whole court open.. ugh. Ended up losing the breaker 11-9. That same guy paired up with me and we ended up winning the mens open doubles as well.

It was so much fun and a great experience. After the match the guy from wright state told me I have no business playing in 4.5 and should be playing 5.0. I still don't consider myself a 5.0 player, but when I'm playing well like I have been I am right there and feel like I am capable of even winning at that level. I do want to continue to work on improving, I play 4-5 days a week right now and recently purchased a portable ball machine to work on some of the weaker shots in my game. I wish I would have had this same love of tennis 15 years ago when I gave up playing the first time around. I guess you come to appreciate things in life more the older you get!