Your personal rivalries in tennis and anything else

[pc1]

We have had a lot of super rivalries in tennis history like Gonzalez-Hoad, Federer-Nadal, Laver-Rosewall. However on a personal level do any of you feel a personal rivalry against any player and if so why? I thinking of mainly tennis but it can be anything.

I personally don't feel I'm good enough to care about a personal rivalry in tennis. Sure I want to win in singles but I'm more interested in trying to improve my game all the time. I did feel a great rivalry with a friend of mine from High School when we played competitive chess because I feared his game which I thought was brilliant. This was both in the school and in tournament competition. For a little while I felt a bit in awe of his game. He has a problem with dyslexia which affects his game over the course of a tournament. If he played fewer competitive games which is the case in some competitions everyone is fearful of him. They are scared of him in regular tournaments too but he's not quite as strong.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

lol, i feel a personally rivalry with anyone that beats me regularly

my first rivalry, like any young boy, was my dad (king pusher, fying pan serve, bunty strokes, and that damn dink bh). gosh i remember getting so mad losing to him (and i lost to him alot), (then getting grounded for throwing a temper tantrum ).

 

[J011yroger]

I definitely feel that I need a rival, but I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with one. It seems that my level of dedication is rare at my level of mediocrity.

J

 

[OrangePower]

We have a lot of super rivalries in tennis history like Gonzalez-Hoad, Federer-Nadal, Laver-Rosewall. However on a personal level do any of you feel a personal rivalry against any player and if so why? I thinking of mainly tennis but it can be anything.

Yeah, there are two players that come to mind that I have a rivalry with.

First, my conditions for rivalry:
- Have to be of a very similar level, where on any given day either play can win. I can't consider it a rivalry if one player is clearly superior to the other.
- Have to play each other at most a few times a year, in a competitive setting, and have done so for several years. If I play someone more frequently, then it means he is a friend or hitting partner, and I don't feel a sense of rivalry in that situation.

Ok, so there are two players who I've played only in league and in tournaments. In both cases I play them maybe once or twice a year, and that's been the case for nearly 10 years. And in both cases our head-to-head is pretty even. So every time I meet one of these two, I feel like we are continuing our rivalry and it's always a match I look forward to. Both are super nice guys by the way so our rivalry is purely based on competitiveness on the court.

 

[lstewart]

30 years ago I had a workout buddy who I hit against every day. We had been rivals for different college teams, but I moved to his city and we hit all the time. We also played doubles together. We faced each other in the finals of quite a few tournaments, some in the city, and some at the state level. I probably won in practice 80% of time, and probably won about that percentage of the time in tournaments. We completely knew each others games. I play many of the same guys in team tennis now, but don't really think of any of them as particular rivals. I played national senior events a few years ago, and ran into a clay courter from Dallas a couple of times. He was crazy fit, and never missed anything on the slow clay. My game is not suited for clay, but I had more variety to my game. Probably would have killed him on hard courts. First time I played him I was playing awful, but somehow managed to get up a service break twice in the 3rd set... and could not hold it. Next time I played him I won the first, and had double match point at 6-5 in the second. We had been on the court for 3 hours, and I had cramps in my cramps. He made you work so hard it was insane. Of course he came back and beat me in 3. I was laying on the court almost dead, and he went for a jog.

 

[pc1]

Yeah, there are two players that come to mind that I have a rivalry with.

First, my conditions for rivalry:
- Have to be of a very similar level, where on any given day either play can win. I can't consider it a rivalry if one player is clearly superior to the other.
- Have to play each other at most a few times a year, in a competitive setting, and have done so for several years. If I play someone more frequently, then it means he is a friend or hitting partner, and I don't feel a sense of rivalry in that situation.

Ok, so there are two players who I've played only in league and in tournaments. In both cases I play them maybe once or twice a year, and that's been the case for nearly 10 years. And in both cases our head-to-head is pretty even. So every time I meet one of these two, I feel like we are continuing our rivalry and it's always a match I look forward to. Both are super nice guys by the way so our rivalry is purely based on competitiveness on the court.

It's good that you keep the rivalries on a friendly basis.

 

[pc1]

I definitely feel that I need a rival, but I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with one. It seems that my level of dedication is rare at my level of mediocrity.

J

You're probably a pretty good player! I just barely qualify as a hacker! Lol.

 

[pc1]

I just realized I had a guy who thought of me as his major rival but I never thought of him as rival. He's a guy I mentioned as a player in another thread on players you don't play anymore.

The guy used to lose to me in virtually everything except for basketball. He lost to me in chess, tennis, ping pong, pool, computer games etc. I stopped playing tennis with him because he quit when he fell behind and stop running for the tennis balls. He also often did not show up for matches which was extremely rude. He never called up to tell me he wasn't playing.

Anyway after a long time of not hearing from him he calls me in 2000 and starts telling me what he's doing. I realize that he's comparing how I'm doing with his own accomplishments. He even got to the point where he was trying to beat me with the amount of children we had. The last time he saw me I had no children and he had one. So when he called me I told him I had one child and he said that we are now tied, you're not ahead! He said that with great pride that I didn't beat him. What he didn't know at that moment was that my wife was pregnant with my second child. If he knew he would been really ticked off. It's really sad when a person has to resort to comparing the amount of children you have. I never thought of that as a competition but I guess he did!

 

[J011yroger]

You're probably a pretty good player! I just barely qualify as a hacker! Lol.

I feel like a healthy, friendly rivalry can help you push yourself, especially if you can train and play doubles together because you both push each other as you both improve.

What you describe is kind of an unhealthy rivalry or jealousy.

J

 

[pc1]

I feel like a healthy, friendly rivalry can help you push yourself, especially if you can train and play doubles together because you both push each other as you both improve.

What you describe is kind of an unhealthy rivalry or jealousy.

J

And that's another reason I don't hang around with the guy anymore. He was an extremely jealous person.

I liked him in High School because the group sometimes went to chess tournaments together. So when I started tennis he started with me. When I started playing with a group of good tennis players I naturally invited him to play too.

As long as it's a friendly rivalry that's fine. My other buddy on that same chess team in high school had a very friendly rivalry with me but he was a great person. He was taking a chess class years ago from a World Class player. I played a prank on him when I called that World Class Player and gave the player a brilliant position that my good friend played years before in High School no less. I did the analysis with computer assistance and the possible variations in the game were stunningly great. Anyway this player went along with the prank and spent an entire class (that my friend and others took) analyzing that great position using my notes. My buddy didn't realize that it was his own game they were going over. Afterward the World Class player told the class it was a great game play by my buddy. I could not believe he didn't remember the game but it was fun to do that. Anyway he used to come to my office every Friday to go over his chess games in my office with another mutual chess friend. It was fun. He's still playing regularly. I joke if you can't find him just go to any chess club in the area and wait for a while. He will eventually show up.

By the way my good friend also wasn't the jealous type. He always wanted me to do well in anything unlike the other guy.

 

[pc1]

30 years ago I had a workout buddy who I hit against every day. We had been rivals for different college teams, but I moved to his city and we hit all the time. We also played doubles together. We faced each other in the finals of quite a few tournaments, some in the city, and some at the state level. I probably won in practice 80% of time, and probably won about that percentage of the time in tournaments. We completely knew each others games. I play many of the same guys in team tennis now, but don't really think of any of them as particular rivals. I played national senior events a few years ago, and ran into a clay courter from Dallas a couple of times. He was crazy fit, and never missed anything on the slow clay. My game is not suited for clay, but I had more variety to my game. Probably would have killed him on hard courts. First time I played him I was playing awful, but somehow managed to get up a service break twice in the 3rd set... and could not hold it. Next time I played him I won the first, and had double match point at 6-5 in the second. We had been on the court for 3 hours, and I had cramps in my cramps. He made you work so hard it was insane. Of course he came back and beat me in 3. I was laying on the court almost dead, and he went for a jog.

It is so tough to beat guys like that who never seem to make a mistake and you have to out-grind them. It's amazing to me that after all that he was so fit.

 

[lstewart]

It is so tough to beat guys like that who never seem to make a mistake and you have to out-grind them. It's amazing to me that after all that he was so fit.

Yes, he was a freak. Wealthy, did not work, and just flew around the country playing national senior events.

 

[J011yroger]

Yes, he was a freak. Wealthy, did not work, and just flew around the country playing national senior events.

Living the dream!

J

 

[pc1]

Yes, he was a freak. Wealthy, did not work, and just flew around the country playing national senior events.

Living the dream!

J

That is the life.

 

[J011yroger]

That is the life.

That's going to be me as soon as I figure out a job with more flexibility.

J

 

[pc1]

That's going to be me as soon as I figure out a job with more flexibility.

J

You'll probably find it.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

I just realized I had a guy who thought of me as his major rival but I never thought of him as rival. He's a guy I mentioned as a player in another thread on players you don't play anymore.

The guy used to lose to me in virtually everything except for basketball. He lost to me in chess, tennis, ping pong, pool, computer games etc. I stopped playing tennis with him because he quit when he fell behind and stop running for the tennis balls. He also often did not show up for matches which was extremely rude. He never called up to tell me he wasn't playing.

Anyway after a long time of not hearing from him he calls me in 2000 and starts telling me what he's doing. I realize that he's comparing how I'm doing with his own accomplishments. He even got to the point where he was trying to beat me with the amount of children we had. The last time he saw me I had no children and he had one. So when he called me I told him I had one child and he said that we are now tied, you're not ahead! He said that with great pride that I didn't beat him. What he didn't know at that moment was that my wife was pregnant with my second child. If he knew he would been really ticked off. It's really sad when a person has to resort to comparing the amount of children you have. I never thought of that as a competition but I guess he did!

i had a "friend" like that

 

[MathGeek]

In my younger days, it was my twin brother playing matches with a case of beer at stake.

My sons don't bet with their dad (often) unless they know they can win. But part of the blessing of teenage sons is that they want to beat their dad, and that their dad wants to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

I managed to delay my younger son's first victory over me in a tennis match until almost his 16th birthday, after he had been playing for 30 months and had taken several thousand dollars in lessons. Just because I am happy to see their progress does not mean I don't work hard to make them earn it.

The only area where my younger son has not beaten me yet is arm wrestling, but he's lifting weights every day in hopes of doing it soon. My older son can beat me in everything now, except tennis (and calculus). He never took tennis lessons and only plays rarely when we are stuck for a 4th player in doubles or as a quid pro quo when another family member offers to join a pick Ultimate game to get his team up to critical mass.

 

[Deleted member 23235]

In my younger days, it was my twin brother playing matches with a case of beer at stake.

My sons don't bet with their dad (often) unless they know they can win. But part of the blessing of teenage sons is that they want to beat their dad, and that their dad wants to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

I managed to delay my younger son's first victory over me in a tennis match until almost his 16th birthday, after he had been playing for 30 months and had taken several thousand dollars in lessons. Just because I am happy to see their progress does not mean I don't work hard to make them earn it.

The only area where my younger son has not beaten me yet is arm wrestling, but he's lifting weights every day in hopes of doing it soon. My older son can beat me in everything now, except tennis (and calculus). He never took tennis lessons and only plays rarely when we are stuck for a 4th player in doubles or as a quid pro quo when another family member offers to join a pick Ultimate game to get his team up to critical mass.

and as father, our job is to become the highest standard/bar/metric we can for our kids to compare to (and ultimately surpass)
well done, dad.

 

[pc1]

and as father, our job is to become the highest standard/bar/metric we can for our kids to compare to (and ultimately surpass)
well done, dad.

I try my best but I have failed too often in that area as far in becoming the highest standard. But despite my failings my children are terrific.

Speaking of dads, I used to try to beat my dad when I was young at chess (I actually taught him how to play when I was 4) but he beat me around 50% of the time when I was a kid. It was kind of funny how annoyed he was when he lost to me in chess when I was four or five.

My older daughter loves to hit with me in tennis. She has good strokes with nice two handed backhand. Her forehand can be sloppy at times but generally okay. My wife and my daughter went to a tennis clinic where they were doing some drills and it was so amusing how competitive they were against each other. Talk about a rivalry.

 

[beltsman]

We have had a lot of super rivalries in tennis history like Gonzalez-Hoad, Federer-Nadal, Laver-Rosewall. However on a personal level do any of you feel a personal rivalry against any player and if so why? I thinking of mainly tennis but it can be anything.

I personally don't feel I'm good enough to care about a personal rivalry in tennis. Sure I want to win in singles but I'm more interested in trying to improve my game all the time. I did feel a great rivalry with a friend of mine from High School when we played competitive chess because I feared his game which I thought was brilliant. This was both in the school and in tournament competition. For a little while I felt a bit in awe of his game. He has a problem with dyslexia which affects his game over the course of a tournament. If he played fewer competitive games which is the case in some competitions everyone is fearful of him. They are scared of him in regular tournaments too but he's not quite as strong.

I'm 0-6 against a guy who I KNOW I'm better than, but just can't beat him. So maybe I'm not better than him

 

[pc1]

I'm 0-6 against a guy who I KNOW I'm better than, but just can't beat him. So maybe I'm not better than him

You could be better but you may be playing him the wrong way.

 

[J011yroger]

I'm 0-6 against a guy who I KNOW I'm better than, but just can't beat him. So maybe I'm not better than him

You could be better than him if you beat several people who beat him and just lose to him because it's a bad matchup.

Ie. Marat Safin was better than Fabrice Santoro but couldn't beat him.

In my circles of friends we have had 3 players of all about the same level where A beats B, B beats C, and C beats A due to matchups.

That's a rarity though. If you lose to someone frequently it takes honest asessment of why you lose and what it will take to get better.

I have had several rivals whom I have surpassed over the years and sometimes I just got better and started beating them, other times certain aspects of their games preyed on weaknesses or holes in my game that I had to fill in or improve before I could win.

J

 

[beltsman]

You could be better but you may be playing him the wrong way .

This is true, he's a pusher/junkballer but I try to beat him "my way" and always lose. If I played his game I'm sure I would win.

But, I've just never had a good day against him.

One time I lost 6-1 3-6 7-5 after blowing match points in the third set. I was up 5*-3 in the third and then our court time ran out and we had to leave the club and go find a public court. When we resumed play, I totally fell apart and blew it.

Edit: I also missed a smash on MP

 

[J011yroger]

You could be better but you may be playing him the wrong way .

That's the worst thing to see, when you know someone can beat a player but they insist on the wrong strategy.

J

 

[pc1]

This is true, he's a pusher/junkballer but I try to beat him "my way" and always lose. If I played his game I'm sure I would win.

But, I've just never had a good day against him.

One time I lost 6-1 3-6 7-5 after blowing match points in the third set. I was up 5*-3 in the third and then our court time ran out and we had to leave the club and go find a public court. When we resumed play, I totally fell apart and blew it.

Edit: I also missed a smash on MP

I have a cousin who started tennis a few years before me and was also a few years younger than me. He is a pusher supreme who won his tennis camp tournament when he was 12. Anyway I just started tennis (I was already the size I am now) so he slaughtered me 6-1 and I was lucky to win one game!

So many years later I needed a fourth for doubles so I invite him. We finish early and he pushes me to play singles against him. I realize now he had nothing to hurt me if I approached the net although he is very fast, perhaps the fastest I've played. So I beat him 6-2 and he never beat me again.

I don't know if I can play that type of game now. He may crush me now.

 

[MasterZeb]

I remember a few years back i had weekly group sessions and the coach used to blatantly show favouritism towards one guy, just because he did 1 to 1 sessions with the coach. He was definitely not towards the top of the group but was always placed among and here was shown privileges. Always used to enjoy beating him

 

[SeeItHitIt]

I'm sure this a tired meme, but my biggest personal rivalry is the 6" or so of grey matter between my ears. I go from supreme confidence (which I try not to get too giddy) to not sure if I can hit the ball, let alone have it land within the lines, faster than Grant took Richmond.

Can't wait to lace up the sneaks again!

 

[pc1]

That's the worst thing to see, when you know someone can beat a player but they insist on the wrong strategy.

J

I will say it's always cool when you figure out a strategy to beat an opponent who has been beating you.

But it is very frustrating when a friend is playing someone totally wrong but you can't tell them during a match.

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

I'm 0-6 against a guy who I KNOW I'm better than, but just can't beat him. So maybe I'm not better than him

You have to adopt the Vitas Gerulitas mantra next time out: "Nobody beats beltsman 7 times in a row!".

 

[MathGeek]

In the last few months, my son beats me, I beat my wife, my wife beats my son.

Consistently, with a few exceptions.

Style of play is very important. A > B and B > C

Does not mean A > C in tennis.

 

[OrangePower]

In the last few months, my son beats me, I beat my wife, my wife beats my son.

Consistently, with a few exceptions.

Style of play is very important. A > B and B > C

Does not mean A > C in tennis.

No, this just means:
- You are a softie when it comes to your son
- You are a wife beater
- Your wife is a heartless mother

 

[Deleted member 23235]

No, this just means:
- You are a softie when it comes to your son
- You are a wife beater
- Your wife is a heartless mother

lol, or writing from prison

 

[SouthernCourts]

You have to adopt the Vitas Gerulitas mantra next time out: "Nobody beats beltsman 7 times in a row!".

My biggest "rival" is a friend of mine who I started playing with last year. He had a start on me in tennis, and is very athletic to boot, but I had a little bit more power. Didn't help much at first—he probably beat me the first 12-15 times we played, though after a couple 6-3 6-3 type results I would occasionally get to a tiebreaker, and eventually took a set and forced him to a match tiebreaker once or twice. Finally, on a windy day when neither of us were playing that great, I beat him 7-6, 7-5, and I dropped the Gerulaitis line, which he laughed at. The funny thing is that the only time we played in a league match was not too long after that, and I beat him in a match breaker. He's working hard on his game now, and I've taken the past couple months mostly off to rest my back, so if we played today he would likely destroy me. He's incredibly accurate and consistent, and in order to start being very competitive with him I had to learn to counter his "chip to my backhand and charge" move by hitting solid backhand shots up the line. Once I did that, and started battering his own backhand with deep shots and getting more comfortable coming to net, things evened. But it's still very difficult to beat him, which is something I appreciate, and I also appreciate that he kept playing with me in the early days when I wasn't much of a threat.

 

[pc1]

My biggest "rival" is a friend of mine who I started playing with last year. He had a start on me in tennis, and is very athletic to boot, but I had a little bit more power. Didn't help much at first—he probably beat me the first 12-15 times we played, though after a couple 6-3 6-3 type results I would occasionally get to a tiebreaker, and eventually took a set and forced him to a match tiebreaker once or twice. Finally, on a windy day when neither of us were playing that great, I beat him 7-6, 7-5, and I dropped the Gerulaitis line, which he laughed at. The funny thing is that the only time we played in a league match was not too long after that, and I beat him in a match breaker. He's working hard on his game now, and I've taken the past couple months mostly off to rest my back, so if we played today he would likely destroy me. He's incredibly accurate and consistent, and in order to start being very competitive with him I had to learn to counter his "chip to my backhand and charge" move by hitting solid backhand shots up the line. Once I did that, and started battering his own backhand with deep shots and getting more comfortable coming to net, things evened. But it's still very difficult to beat him, which is something I appreciate, and I also appreciate that he kept playing with me in the early days when I wasn't much of a threat.

I'm glad you appreciate that he was playing you because of your friendship in the beginning. Now (if you're in shape) it must be nice to know you're competitive with him.

 

[pc1]

No, this just means:
- You are a softie when it comes to your son
- You are a wife beater
- Your wife is a heartless mother

When my wife and I were dating she decided to challenge me to a match. I decided to not let up on her. Now I didn't go blasting away like I normally would but I did not want to give her a point! So I won the first 16 points until the ball hit a bad crack on the court and didn't bounce. That was the only point she won! Now I love my wife but if she managed to win a game on me I would've never heard the end of it! LOL!

In retrospect it might've been a bit of a risk because, who knows she might've gotten angry. But I knew her pretty well at that point and I knew she would take it well. But she is a killer on the tennis court and I've seen her crush people in doubles a number of times 6-0. She never wants to give people a point. Heck recently she didn't even want to give her own daughter a point.

 

[MathGeek]

When my wife and I were dating she decided to challenge me to a match. I decided to not let up on her. Now I didn't go blasting away like I normally would but I did not want to give her a point! So I won the first 16 points until the ball hit a bad crack on the court and didn't bounce. That was the only point she won! Now I love my wife but if she managed to win a game on me I would've never heard the end of it! LOL!

My first date with my wife was a tennis match. I pulled the old "loser makes dinner for the winner" trick. I was just a lifelong hack and enthusiast. She was top of her local ladder in high school and captain of the tennis team at a school with a good program. I lost the match, but won a very beautiful woman. I have not cooked much since.

My wife has likely been my most consistent tennis rivalry over the years. Bearing four of my children and many long breaks from the game to bear and raise them has given me time to catch up, as we have been very competitive in recent years with me winning about 70% of the matches as I learned to use my size and strength and mobility.

But where we really shine is on the doubles court. I have tons of room for growth in my doubles skills, but never underestimate the advantage of a team that knows each other's games so intimately and instinctively anticipates every move. Your longest rival will likely be your best doubles partner.

 

[pc1]

My first date with my wife was a tennis match. I pulled the old "loser makes dinner for the winner" trick. I was just a lifelong hack and enthusiast. She was top of her local ladder in high school and captain of the tennis team at a school with a good program. I lost the match, but won a very beautiful woman. I have not cooked much since.

My wife has likely been my most consistent tennis rivalry over the years. Bearing four of my children and many long breaks from the game to bear and raise them has given me time to catch up, as we have been very competitive in recent years with me winning about 70% of the matches as I learned to use my size and strength and mobility.

But where we really shine is on the doubles court. I have tons of room for growth in my doubles skills, but never underestimate the advantage of a team that knows each other's games so intimately and instinctively anticipates every move. Your longest rival will likely be your best doubles partner.

The problem here is that my wife isn't at my level in tennis so we can't team up in doubles against my usual group in tennis. However I will say that we do team up well in doubles when we play. But she is my best partner in life of course.

 

[Simon_the_furry]

I play this total a-hole named Nico often. I've beat him before, but most of the time he beats me in straights, with me winning a few games here and there.
He has a huge forehand and uses so much gamesmanship it's not even funny. It's fun to play him, though, he's just a total jerk. Off the tennis court I hate him. On the tennis court I hate him. But I enjoy playing him.

 

[pc1]

I play this total a-hole named Nico often. I've beat him before, but most of the time he beats me in straights, with me winning a few games here and there.
He has a huge forehand and uses so much gamesmanship it's not even funny. It's fun to play him, though, he's just a total jerk. Off the tennis court I hate him. On the tennis court I hate him. But I enjoy playing him.

Almost a split personality there! LOL!

I understand. You want to beat the person and you also enjoy his level of play and hitting against him. Perhaps someday you will be better than him and you can play him from a standpoint of having the upper hand! It makes me happy when somebody is superior to me in any particular accomplishment if I improve and surpass that person.

 

[Simon_the_furry]

Almost a split personality there! LOL!

I understand. You want to beat the person and you also enjoy his level of play and hitting against him. Perhaps someday you will be better than him and you can play him from a standpoint of having the upper hand! It makes me happy when somebody is superior to me in any particular accomplishment if I improve and surpass that person.

Exactly. That's why I love playing kids who are better than me but don't play as often as I do.

 

[Nacho]

We have had a lot of super rivalries in tennis history like Gonzalez-Hoad, Federer-Nadal, Laver-Rosewall. However on a personal level do any of you feel a personal rivalry against any player and if so why? I thinking of mainly tennis but it can be anything.

I personally don't feel I'm good enough to care about a personal rivalry in tennis. Sure I want to win in singles but I'm more interested in trying to improve my game all the time. I did feel a great rivalry with a friend of mine from High School when we played competitive chess because I feared his game which I thought was brilliant. This was both in the school and in tournament competition. For a little while I felt a bit in awe of his game. He has a problem with dyslexia which affects his game over the course of a tournament. If he played fewer competitive games which is the case in some competitions everyone is fearful of him. They are scared of him in regular tournaments too but he's not quite as strong.

I have a couple of guys I play regularly and we go back and forth...so they are friendly rivalries. I don't play enough tournaments to have any there, but the few I do play I get fired up against anyone I have lost too....

 

[pc1]

I have a couple of guys I play regularly and we go back and forth...so they are friendly rivalries. I don't play enough tournaments to have any there, but the few I do play I get fired up against anyone I have lost too....

Hey if you can get fired up against some players that just makes it more exciting.

There's this lefty player I had some trouble with in the beginning. He's very talented but he doesn't know how talented he is. A number of us love to watch his game because of his shotmaking ability. He has a nice combination of touch and power. I tried to play him like I normally do when I realized I couldn't play him that way. He beat him the first couple of times by scores like 6-3 6-2. There are players in my group a little better than him but I enjoy playing him the most because I enjoy style of his game and like to see how I can possibly break it down. I figured out a new way to play him now.

 

[heninfan99]

Sureshs vs. LeeD is the only rivalry that matters

 

[NTRPolice]

Our mens and womens team splits up for all the various other leagues during the year. My "rivalries" are with them. Any time im on court against someone from our mens or womens team it's way more exciting. Basically, if I have your phone number and end up on opposite ends of the court for a match, im gunning for you. I also call the lines a lot tighter. Against a stranger I might give them a lot of calls. Against someone I know, I'll call the ball long if I think it's 1mm out. If you call really tight lines against a stranger they will think you're cheating, haha.

 

[Turbo-87]

Sureshs vs. LeeD is the only rivalry that matters

I'd buy tickets to that one and skip Powershares.

 

[pc1]

Sureshs vs. LeeD is the only rivalry that matters

I think we can get Wimbledon as a venue. It'll be best of five with no tiebreaker in the fifth. I think the tickets will be sold out quickly.

Or perhaps it should be on red clay at Roland Garros?

Heck, it'll be four matches, one at the Australian, next Wimbledon, third Roland Garros and last at Flushing Meadow.

 

[pc1]

Our mens and womens team splits up for all the various other leagues during the year. My "rivalries" are with them. Any time im on court against someone from our mens or womens team it's way more exciting. Basically, if I have your phone number and end up on opposite ends of the court for a match, im gunning for you. I also call the lines a lot tighter. Against a stranger I might give them a lot of calls. Against someone I know, I'll call the ball long if I think it's 1mm out. If you call really tight lines against a stranger they will think you're cheating, haha.

A few people are that way.

You're a team player.