Woofin' or Whinin' -- Singles Match Results

[Kaptain Karl]

The outdoor season is really here. Yea!!! No more snow. This thread will be the companion piece to Cindy's "Your Last Match" thread for doubles.

Post your ... results / lessons learned / boasts / gripes ... about your last Singles match.

- KK

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Since I'm asking you to ... I'll start. I was feeling pretty cocky about my singles. Already won two matches (3, 0 and 1, 0). Today I played a kid who was one of my HS boys three years ago; now he's a scholarship player for a nearby Div II college.

He beat me 6-4, 4-0 Ret. I was so pleased to see him playing so well. Now I have someone else to make me stretch...!

- KK

 

[ChipNCharge]

I lost my last USTA singles match 6-4, 6-3. The first set was close. Only one break...at 4-5 (ouch!). I started to run out of gas in the second set. It was 6-3, but it really wasn't that close. He was winning most of his games at love and I had to fight like heck just to win my three games. He kept hitting his big topspin forehand into my backhand until he got a short ball to put away. Need to figure out a way to keep from getting my backhand picked on so much.

 

[Caswell]

Snow? What's that?

My last match? I finally cemented in my head that I prefer to play as a counterpuncher. Not a pusher, but a percentage-tennis-playing, patiently-waiting-for-the-short-ball-to-end-the-point counterpuncher.

My all-courter 4.0 friends may love to change their games around to suit their opponents, but I've found great satisfaction in hearing through the league grapevine that I ran my opponents to death, or that they didn't expect a twenty-something with a big serve to have the patience to grind out points.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Snow? What's that?

Very funny!

This afternoon's Drop-In Doubles ... only two of us braved the drizzle and WIND. So ... the other guy who showed was one of my former Boys Team players who decided he was ready to "take on his old Coach." We ended up playing three sets in the wet cold wind. I won all three ... 1, 2 and 1. I think I'm getting used to this outdoor tennis....

- KK

 

[Cindysphinx]

Only the one singles match this season (which is one too many, if you ask me). Won 6-1, 6-2 in first match of the season. Did too much pushing and generally chickened out. Will do better next time, as groundstrokes have improved since that match.

I'm on a singles ladder, but I haven't played on it yet. Maybe after the league season ends . . .

 

[Hokiez]

Lost my last USTA singles match 6-3 7-6 (10-6) 3 weeks ago (the guy is 6-0 in singles now) after having one my only 2 previous singles matches (one 6-0 6-1 and one 6-2 7-5 against an otherwise 9-0 (all in singles) 4.0). In my defense (hey, there's always a reason eh?), I could not hit my normal first serve or a topspin forehand due to a torn rotator cuff and haven't played USTA singles since.

In the local league (Richmond, VA), I won my last match (against a USTA 4.0) 10-4.

I guess that's a whoofwhine?

 

[Kaptain Karl]

It had to happen sooner or later....

Today my buddy and I played a single set in place of our usual drills. He smoked me 6-2 (and it wasn't that close). It was honestly a joy to see someone play such spectacular tennis. (I just wish it hadn't been when *I* was on the other side of his net...!)

My buddy played for Penn -- a million years ago -- and also coached at NBTA for a while. I kept telling my wife he was going to be tough, once the rust was knocked off his game. (Until today, he hadn't taken a set off me in three years....)

It's been a long time since I met someone who could take my best stuff and ... ram it right back down my throat. Wow! I need to get more serious.

- KK

 

[Blade0324]

Managed to win my singles match last week in about 25mph steady winds with about 50mph gusts. Not much fun but kept grinding and after resorting to a dropserve to keep them in and make my opponant have to play the ball in the wind I pulled of a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win. Happy with myself for hanging tough and being able to make the necessary adjustments to win.

 

[Fay]

my first USTA singles game this Sat.

Hi, new to this list and new to USTA Will be playing my very first competitive game Sat.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Way to go, Blade!

Good luck, Fay....

- KK

 

[Fay]

Thank you Kaptain Karl !!!

 

[DrewRafter8]

I'll woof a bit...

Monday I worked with the teaching pro at our club for a hour and a half. After I finished, I was a little tired, but one of our better 4.5 singles players asked if I wanted to play. He is a precision player with excellent retrieving skills. I thought he would beat me pretty well, since he was fresh. I lost 6-3, but performed well. I was very pleased. If my first serve had a little more pop I really think I could have pushed him. Really pleased with my play. I had been practicing serve and volley as I always do. He had a good lob but I was able to neutralize him with my groundstrokes. We hit around 15 unforced errors combined. There were a lot of winners. I love to play tennis with someone when it's like this.

 

[goober]

I got my picture up on the Wall of Champions for winning my 4.5 singles league at a local tennis center. One of the teaching pros who rated me between a 3.0-3.5 about 2 years ago was very surprised to see my picture there.

 

[Jack the Hack]

I won all three of my singles matches this past weekend to help my League team get to Sectionals. The coolest thing was that in the first round, I was down two match points in a super-tiebreaker with our team tied at 2-2, but I pulled out the win 12-10. In the second round, we were tied again at 2-2, and our #1 doubles team saved 4 or 5 match points to win 17-15 in the super-tiebreak. I guess we were just a team of destiny... and I'm pleased to have done my part.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

goober and Jack - Great reports from both! Congrats!

- KK

 

[harleywilson]

Played last night K-Swiss. Won first set 6-1. Was rolling, up 40-love in the first game of the second set. Too bad the match didn't end there. Forgot how to bend knees, serve, basically everything. Lost second 4-6, third 6-7(7-4). Started to rain during tie break, darn near fell twice on match point. I'm bummed out. Played a total pusher, tried to out push him (bad decision) I think I also ran out of gas in the third, a little bit. It was very humid last night and in the 80's at 10:00 p.m. The nearby lightning also freaked me a little.

 

[Kaptain Karl]

Ouch! I challenged the #1 on our Ladder and just lost 1 & 0 ... and it really wasn't that close(!).

The whole match lasted less than 40 minutes. He played well. I kept missing by 4-6 inches -- both wide and deep.

I kept telling myself, "I'm just missing; it'll come around." (It didn't....)

- KK

 

[MTXR]

I have lost every single match i have played for the last 2 months. I been up 4-1/5-2 and then loose every single game after that.

I contribute my losses to Serve and Volleying with poor fitness. I have been playing the pure attacking game lately.

 

[MTXR]

YES!

Today i broke the losing streak........ But... I double faulted literally the first set away, 3-6. Second set i was like screw this and hit every serve 2nd serve and took a little off and started to place it. won the set 6-4. Then won the third set 7-6(9).

Ok, but i did chicken out and only served and volleyed like 10 points the whole match and i didn't chip and charge as much.

So the baseline bashing won....

 

[Hokiez]

Finally played some singles again today. I think playing a good amount of doubles lately has helped my volleying significantly. I wound up winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

 

[MacKenzie]

Hope to join a single league this fall. Do they like all start up in the Fall as the double's leagues do?