LOL: ridiculous/absurd post-match comments from your opponent(s)

S

Say Chi Sin Lo

G.O.A.T.
LOL, I thought this would be a fun thread to start.

I hope most of these will be in good nature. But every once in a while, I'm sure you've come across some ridiculous comments that your opponent(s) have said regarding the just finished match. Please post anything that made you go: "What?! Is this person serious?!"

Won my R16 match in a 4.0 tournament, and this guy basically said: "Let's play again, I play better in non-match situations."

... LOL what?!
 
I won a tournament match once S&V most of the time - just in the zone and played great that match. Most points were over by the 2nd volley (which was sometimes an overhead instead). My opponent, a dedicated baseline retriever, kept getting more and more frustrated with no rhythm to get into and few, if any, rallies.

After the match she said that people only play the way I did because they aren't good enough at tennis to maintain a rally. LOL. The guys waiting to play on the court next ROFL, as did I.
 
North said:
I won a tournament match once S&V most of the time - just in the zone and played great that match. Most points were over by the 2nd volley (which was sometimes an overhead instead). My opponent, a dedicated baseline retriever, kept getting more and more frustrated with no rhythm to get into and few, if any, rallies.

After the match she said that people only play the way I did because they aren't good enough at tennis to maintain a rally. LOL. The guys waiting to play on the court next ROFL, as did I.
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I bet in your head, you were saying: "Yeah well, people only play the way you did because you know nothing about execution, and skills is not part of your game."
 
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After dropping the first set 6-3 in a league championship match, I went to chipping balls up both lines and coming to the net. I win the second and third set 3 and 2 and the guy says...


"This match was not fun at all...you are not suppose to play tennis from no man's land...you have a nice one handed backhand and I don'[t understand why you didn't use it...you did nothing but chip balls short...this was rediculous"



Say Chi Sin Lo said:
LOL, I thought this would be a fun thread to start.

I hope most of these will be in good nature. But every once in a while, I'm sure you've come across some ridiculous comments that your opponent(s) have said regarding the just finished match. Please post anything that made you go: "What?! Is this person serious?!"

Won my R16 match in a 4.0 tournament, and this guy basically said: "Let's play again, I play better in non-match situations."

... LOL what?!
Click to expand...
 
Played an older guy when I had just started playing tennis. I didn't know it at the time but he had/has a history of verbally abusing people and then being no longer invited to play with those groups. When he was younger he probably was much better than I, but my ability to track most of his shots down and his inability to get to many of mine because of his age sealed the win for me.

After the match he said, "You stink. You're terrible. Even you don't know where most of your shots are going!"

I replied, "If I'm that bad and still won, what does that say about your game?"

.... then he wanted to box me. Seriously. Not fight. Box. Like in Marques of Queensberry rules. I just laughed and sat down, and kept laughing at him as he got angrier and mouthier.

He never spoke to me again but months later made a disparaging comment to my wife about her Irish last name when she was playing mixed against him (she's not Irish, I am) when he found out who she was married to.

He also was dis-invited by a group of guys because he called them all a slang word that rhymes with maggots, and he was also kicked out of a natatorium facility because he kept harrassing a woman who exercised there because he was sure she was using steroids and she argued she wasn't.
 
Mongolmike said:
Played an older guy when I had just started playing tennis. I didn't know it at the time but he had/has a history of verbally abusing people and then being no longer invited to play with those groups. When he was younger he probably was much better than I, but my ability to track most of his shots down and his inability to get to many of mine because of his age sealed the win for me.

After the match he said, "You stink. You're terrible. Even you don't know where most of your shots are going!"

I replied, "If I'm that bad and still won, what does that say about your game?"

.... then he wanted to box me. Seriously. Not fight. Box. Like in Marques of Queensberry rules. I just laughed and sat down, and kept laughing at him as he got angrier and mouthier.

He never spoke to me again but months later made a disparaging comment to my wife about her Irish last name when she was playing mixed against him (she's not Irish, I am) when he found out who she was married to.

He also was dis-invited by a group of guys because he called them all a slang word that rhymes with maggots, and he was also kicked out of a natatorium facility because he kept harrassing a woman who exercised there because he was sure she was using steroids and she argued she wasn't.
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Didn't know mental hospitals have tennis courts now?
 
In the playoffs of ALTA we had a team complain that we dumped line 1 and were sandbagging even though we won line 1 in straight sets and took lines 1, 2, and 3. Granted our line 3, 4, and 5 guys had massive serves and crushed the ball but it was still really funny to have the other captain get ****y about it.
 
After winning a hard fought singles match against a big hitter who was having a meltdown, I got this bitterly thrown in my direction before my opponent stormed off the court:

"Playing people like you [pushers] just makes me worse at tennis!"

Probably true, but ... suck it up, buttercup.
 
Guy could not keep the ball in play and would not come to the net in doubles. After the pick up match was over he commented that he does not play matches or even points because it screws up his game. And he can't have that. Met him 30 yrs later, he now plays golf. And does not keep score..............
 
PushyPushster said:
After winning a hard fought singles match against a big hitter who was having a meltdown, I got this bitterly thrown in my direction before my opponent stormed off the court:

"Playing people like you [pushers] just makes me worse at tennis!"

Probably true, but ... suck it up, buttercup.
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I have a friend who won't play league or tourneys because he can't stand playing pushers.

What that means is that he can't stand losing to a pusher because he isn't good enough to beat that style, but if you asked him to rate himself I'd say he feels he is about 1.5 points higher than what he really is.
 
A few matches ago, this was what I was asked. "What can I do better next time to beat you?" and the guy was totally serious.
 
"I could have beaten you if you weren't using that toy racket." i was using an apdc and he was using some prostaff from the middle ages.
 
At the state >40 3.5 tournament last weekend my first singles opponent and I had to wait for the previous court to finish and as we were talking he told me that he was new to league tennis and had self rated this year but he'd played college tennis at OSU back in the day as well as having been on a wrestling scholarship.

I was kind of taken back by that but let it go without comment as he was in his mid 60s and I couldn't remember if that was a correct self-rate according to the USTA guidelines pdf. I didn't even ask him which OSU.

I don't know if what he said was true or just a bit of bluster but if it was true then thankfully he'd lost most of his old skills or else OSU, whichever one that may be, had a pretty bad tennis team back then.
 
One guy that beat me said afterwards "you were the better player today" in some gracious but somewhat misguided attempt to console me. I told him if that were true then I would have won the match
 
beernutz said:
At the state >40 3.5 tournament last weekend my first singles opponent and I had to wait for the previous court to finish and as we were talking he told me that he was new to league tennis and had self rated this year but he'd played college tennis at OSU back in the day as well as having been on a wrestling scholarship.

I was kind of taken back by that but let it go without comment as he was in his mid 60s and I couldn't remember if that was a correct self-rate according to the USTA guidelines pdf. I didn't even ask him which OSU.

I don't know if what he said was true or just a bit of bluster but if it was true then thankfully he'd lost most of his old skills or else OSU, whichever one that may be, had a pretty bad tennis team back then.
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A lot of things can happen between college and 60s, so being 3.5 at that age is not half bad, even for a college player. If fact, given how much tennis has changed, it's actually pretty good. I know several 4.0 players in their 60s who used to be 5.0+ in their prime. That's just the way it goes, age takes it's toll on most people.
 
After I won one of my 4.0 USTA singles matches, fairly easily, my opponent told me "Good job -young man-." I was a bit confused, since he didn't look that old, and asked about his age. Turns out he was only 9 years older. So, I said lightheartedly, "you're only 9 years older". To which he grumbled something like "That's a big difference, I hope you can play this well when you're my age". I was going to say that I expect to be even better, but I didn't push it, since he was frustrated, but otherwise, a nice guy :)
 
beernutz said:
... but he'd played college tennis at OSU back in the day as well as having been on a wrestling scholarship.

I was kind of taken back by that but let it go without comment as he was in his mid 60s and I couldn't remember if that was a correct self-rate according to the USTA guidelines pdf. I didn't even ask him which OSU.
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It has to be Oregon otherwise he would have said *The* OSU. :-P
 
Some of these are pretty hilarious stories. A lot of my thinking about this was influenced by Allen Fox, who advises you to keep your excuses to yourself.

Tennis is a pretty rough game, mentally, and it feels bad to lose. Most of the excuses people make are an attempt to minimize the relevance of a loss (or maximize the relevance of a win). A loss is a loss, but you can feel better or worse about a loss by attributing it to some factors rather than others.

I realized I do this too. I lost a pretty grueling semifinal in a tournament 7-5, 6-4. I led 4-1 in the first, and trailed by a break in the second, evened it up by pursuing an aggressive net game, and was broken again.

I've learned to never share my post-match analysis witho my opponent, but the story I told myself (and my tennis playing family members), was that I went ahead, but didn't have the fitness to continue. As I started to wilt, I switched to a serve and volley, net rushing game, which went well until my first serve percentage dropped.

Now, maybe that's true. My opponent was fitter, and younger, and I do need to improve my fitness. But it's still a version of events that allows me to see myself as the more skilled player. You see, I won when it was about good strokes and tactics, I just lost to a younger jackrabbit on a hot day. The second break in the second set was all about me and my first serve percentage - it had nothing to do with my opponent's good play, right? ;) I was minimizing the relevance of my loss, convincing myself that I was actually the better player, trying to convince myself that the sections where I was winning were more reflective of the real match. :oops:

My opponent did share his post-mortem with me. He said that he had been "nervous" in the beginning, but then he settled in and started hitting his strokes properly and then turned it around. He was "thrown off" by my aggressive net play, but then he settled and stared hitting good passing shots. He was maximizing the relevance of his win - disregarding the sections where I had led as "settling down" and convincing himself that the parts where he won were more reflective of the "true" contest.

Was he right? Well sure, why not? So was I, it's just completely irrelevant and nobody wants to hear it. You just embarrass yourself with these post-mortems. Allen Fox points out that our excuses are *usually* true. Ok, sure, you occasionally you get the total yahoo who utterly mischaracterizes the match - a low 4.5 hacker who was blown out by a 5.0 with a very pretty game actually (and hilariously) said he "couldn't handle his opponent's junky strokes". But usually, people are pretty smart and good at deluding themselves, so they pick reasons that have a grain of truth.

I still keep my mouth shut, but it's interesting to hear the reasons people give. And it can be a good strategic exercise to think of how your opponent would describe the match.
 
This one time I was down in a flex singles match 1-5. Then I started hitting slice shots and came back to win 7-5, 6-1. Afterwards the guy barely shook my hand. I said good match, and he said "No, actually it wasn't. I can't wait to move up to the next level where they know how to hit the ball." I told him good luck buddy! :)
 
North said:
After the match she said that people only play the way I did because they aren't good enough at tennis to maintain a rally. LOL. The guys waiting to play on the court next ROFL, as did I.
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So did you prove her wrong by beating her at the baseline game? :)

I have also played with alot of people that are really good at the net but ridiculously suck at the baseline. Usually people are only good at one thing or the other. I play a great baseline game but coming to the net to volley bores me to death.
 
Delano said:
Some of these are pretty hilarious stories. A lot of my thinking about this was influenced by Allen Fox, who advises you to keep your excuses to yourself.
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It's one thing to share your post match analysis with your opponent (victor or the loser), as long as the person is good natured, I don't see why not.

But it's another thing to say some BS excuse after the match as a way to justify the lost. Like my story: "I play better in non-match situations"

What "non-match" situations?! You mean you can only push through meaningless baseline practice rallies?
 
played a kid that had beat me 62 62 the last time we played

he plays at a div 1 college and is much better this time. it was a summer tournament. i was prepared and had a great game plan.

i won 63 64 and after he said. "I cant wait to get back to school to play some really good players that hit a college ball"

I said. " yeah I hear ya, I can't wait to get back to playing the old men in my senior divisions cause they dont cry like babies"
 
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Gut4Tennis said:
played a kid that had beat me 62 62 the last time we played

he plays at a div 1 college and is much better this time. it was a summer tournament. i was prepared and had a great game plan.

i won 63 64 and after he said. "I cant wait to get back to school to play some really good players that hit a college ball"

I said. " yeah I hear ya, I can't wait to get back to playing the old men in my senior divisions cause they dont cry like babies"
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Pretty close match. He can't be that much better, considering he schooled you before. As a senior player, it's unlikely that you've improved much (not a put down, just a fact), so he either choked psychologically or has a glaring weakness he didn't address at all. In either case though, he should respect the fact that you beat him, and learn something from it, rather than make excuses.
 
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user92626 said:
So did you prove her wrong by beating her at the baseline game? :)

I have also played with alot of people that are really good at the net but ridiculously suck at the baseline. Usually people are only good at one thing or the other. I play a great baseline game but coming to the net to volley bores me to death.
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We are opposite twins lol. I can win from the baseline but it bores me to death - much more fun winning at the net! :wink:

One thing I have noticed & I'm not sure why: People seem more disgruntled or frustrated if I beat them S&V than if I beat them from the baseline. Anyone else ever notice that?
 
^^^^ Yes bc yo are showing a more complete game in both skill and strategy, also they are probably used to hitting around as how they developed a game for singles and don't "practice" against S&V.
S&V may not work too well at pro level anymore but it is still very valid in rec play
 
North said:
We are opposite twins lol. I can win from the baseline but it bores me to death - much more fun winning at the net! :wink:

One thing I have noticed & I'm not sure why: People seem more disgruntled or frustrated if I beat them S&V than if I beat them from the baseline. Anyone else ever notice that?
Click to expand...

See, being opposite, I don't understand your attraction to playing, winning at the net. Net volleying is very erratic and short to me. Rec games are already plagued with slowness and walking and picking errant balls. More of that would take me into madness. On other hand I'll explain the attraction of playing and winning at baseline. :) I need to feel like ATP men hitting good looking groundstrokes. More hitting, definitely more than if you volley, feels like ..more and real tennis, comparing to retrieving errant balls, and is great for exercise.
 
North said:
One thing I have noticed & I'm not sure why: People seem more disgruntled or frustrated if I beat them S&V than if I beat them from the baseline. Anyone else ever notice that?
Click to expand...

Might be because you are taking the racquet out of their hands more. Pretty demoralizing when the opponent repeatedly comes to net and beats you with volleys-- can make you feel like you weren't even in the points.
 
North said:
One thing I have noticed & I'm not sure why: People seem more disgruntled or frustrated if I beat them S&V than if I beat them from the baseline. Anyone else ever notice that?
Click to expand...

I've lost to a couple of committed S&Vs since being bumped up in my flex league. Most were former 4.0-4.5s who have started playing down once they've gotten older.

I think it's more frustrating within the match. Baseliners think to ourselves "he didn't even let me in the point" [Edit: I hadn't even read Avles post above. lol] or our passing shots have to be on point and of course usually aren't. Pretty enraging stuff in the moment.


But in the end (particularly when a match is close), it is the most exciting kind of player to play, IMO. It feels like real tennis.
 
user92626 said:
See, being opposite, I don't understand your attraction to playing, winning at the net. Net volleying is very erratic and short to me. Rec games are already plagued with slowness and walking and picking errant balls. More of that would take me into madness. On other hand I'll explain the attraction of playing and winning at baseline. :) I need to feel like ATP men hitting good looking groundstrokes. More hitting, definitely more than if you volley, feels like ..more and real tennis, comparing to retrieving errant balls, and is great for exercise.
Click to expand...

I don't get why you think more net play would slow the game down. In fact it's quite the opposite. I am generally a baseliner, but when I'm looking to shorten a match (if I'm tired for example), then I will switch to serve and volley. Points are over quickly... serve, follow it to the net, then either put away the return, or else get passed. And on return games, go for a big return down the line, follow it into the net, and then the point usually ends shortly thereafter one way or another.
 
user92626 said:
See, being opposite, I don't understand your attraction to playing, winning at the net. Net volleying is very erratic and short to me. Rec games are already plagued with slowness and walking and picking errant balls. More of that would take me into madness. On other hand I'll explain the attraction of playing and winning at baseline. :) I need to feel like ATP men hitting good looking groundstrokes. More hitting, definitely more than if you volley, feels like ..more and real tennis, comparing to retrieving errant balls, and is great for exercise.
Click to expand...

Well, the only person chasing errant balls is my opponent when he/she misses the volley. :razz: I totally get your explanation about why you like the baseline better because we are again opposites lol - S&V feels more like real tennis to me because it requires more intense focus in short spurts (at least for me) so I feel more in"flow" when I play.
 
OrangePower said:
I don't get why you think more net play would slow the game down. In fact it's quite the opposite. I am generally a baseliner, but when I'm looking to shorten a match (if I'm tired for example), then I will switch to serve and volley. Points are over quickly... serve, follow it to the net, then either put away the return, or else get passed. And on return games, go for a big return down the line, follow it into the net, and then the point usually ends shortly thereafter one way or another.
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You're talking about different thing here. Yes, S&V produces very fast and shorten point, but that doesn't mean the same as more & long tennis which guys like me desire. People are naturally slow-incline or lazy -- even pros are slow and need a clock and penalties to deter that, rec people without any enforcement would even get slower. Both SV and baseline players do get tired and inclined to take longer breaks, slowing down between points. So they're equal in this, but during point it's just more tennis (length and variety) with playing from baseline which is the difference.
 
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Really odd comment, after I beat the opponent in straight (not particularly close) sets:

"I'm actually a much better player than you."

:D
 
North said:
We are opposite twins lol. I can win from the baseline but it bores me to death - much more fun winning at the net! :wink:

One thing I have noticed & I'm not sure why: People seem more disgruntled or frustrated if I beat them S&V than if I beat them from the baseline. Anyone else ever notice that?
Click to expand...

I think it's more that people don't see S&V that often and get frustrated because they don't know what to do. It can be frustrating seeing balls whiz right by you all match without getting a look.
 
Funny thread.

I've experienced a lot of what some of you guys have ben through.

Heres a brief selection but i have plenty:

I beat a guy in straights but i thought i played poorly so i said to the chap that the best player lost. To which he snapped back a bit saying he didnt play well and i deserved it. I think he thought i was being patronising which i wasnt. lol

A guy i play every week who i beat every week. In fact, i've never lost to him always says before we start some of the below:
- I've had a long day at work so i'm tired
- Ive just eaten
- I havent eaten
- Played the other night so i'm a bit sore
- Not feeling great
I really want to say,
"dude, you wont win so save the excuses and just play" lol.

A guy in doubles who we were beating shouted out loud that he couldnt believe he was losing to guys of our standard and that he plays at a much higher level than what we were at. At the hand shake when we won, i smiled and sarcastically told him well played what a good player he is.

Probably the best and most odd was a guy i beat 0 and 2 saying he could have beat me if he had have got more balls back into play.:-?

I dont really make excuses publicly to my credit.

When i lose i just go home and sulk to myself about how the match was in my hands and i blew it.

99% of the time, the guy was just better than me. lol
 
roman40 said:
Pretty close match. He can't be that much better, considering he schooled you before. As a senior player, it's unlikely that you've improved much (not a put down, just a fact), so he either choked psychologically or has a glaring weakness he didn't address at all. In either case though, he should respect the fact that you beat him, and learn something from it, rather than make excuses.
Click to expand...

the first time i played him i choked

and the second time i had a great game plan and was prepared for his bomb serve

thanks for taking time out of your life to respond to me.
 
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