Tonight's Finals Match

Tonight is my finals match with Tyrone. I have a strategy in place and we’ll see if it works. I’m been playing well lately, and Tyrone has been leaving the ball up on lob serves. If I can put the ball away and play my game I should take this tonight. I just hope we both come through it unscathed. Tyrone blew out his calf muscle last time. My strategy will be to lob serve his backhand and also mix things up with other serves. If my drive serve is feeling good, I’ll throw in a few of those, but it’s important that I keep that first serve from hitting the back wall for an easy setup. That’s what I was doing in Pleasanton. I couldn’t get my drive serves down. I’m practicing my serves for an hour at lunch and relaxing the rest of the afternoon. This match will be good practice going into the state singles tournament in March.

A Room with a View

I visited Sausalito for the first time with Alice on Saturday. The skies were overcast and mild as we walked through town along the street facing the water. We ordered mocha and a pastry at a cute café and salt water taffy at a place called “Munchies.” It’s a charming place to hang out for a morning. We then went to a mall in Corda Madera and looked around. It started raining around noon, so we headed back to San Francisco and had a wonderful Thai lunch on 9th and Irving. We took a nap in the afternoon, then made a simple noodle and shrimp dinner. In the evening we watched “A Room with a View” on Alice’s computer via Netflix. The film still holds up. I must have seen it many times in the 80s and 90s because so many lines were familiar to me. Alice howled at the pool scene. It certainly is funny. The details are spot on in this film, and the pacing is wonderful. Maggie Smith and Daniel Day Lewis are terrific foils. The music is perfect. Helena Bonham-Carter was star material even then. Alice loved the film. I’ll have to look for more that this one that we can see together.

Patty!

I received a wonderful email on Facebook from Patty Slater, a childhood friend whom I adored when I was in fourth and fifth grade. She lives in Switzerland with her husband and son in a small town outside Luzern. This is the power of Facebook, connecting with friends from long ago. I can see our entire 3rd and 4th split connecting on Facebook one day.

I’m still thinking about my match with Tyrone. I’m feeling good, feeling confident, feeling as though the title is mine again if I play my game and don’t make errors. My body feels pretty good. Tonight, I plan to play a few games with Rob. We played three games Tuesday and he took one of them. I’d like a clean sweep tonight.

Finals with Tyrone

This week I'm in total training mode as I get ready for my finals match next week. Losing is not an option! I'll practice every lunch break, ride my bicycle to work when I can, and stretch, stretch, stretch!

My strategy is simple: set the tempo of the game, let him make mistakes, and put the ball away when he gives me setups. Simple as that.

Weekend with Alice

Alice came over Friday night and we watched Pirate Radio. It was just so-so. There was a scene where a song by the Rolling Stones was playing and I asked Alice what the name of the band was. She said, "The Monkees?" She's so great!

We left Saturday morning after Starbuck's and Noah's bagels. We are so wonderfully compatible. She's happy and I'm happy and life is so damn good!

Sunday, we went for a walk atop Twin Peaks and then met Alice's friend Mark and his ex-partner Roberto for dim sum at a new Chinese restaurant in Diamond Heights. I also the Alice condo rents out which is in a very nice location.

After lunch we went to Irving Street and had a coffee, then went home and watched the Steelers/Jets game. I downloaded music onto Alice's iphone and she made a wonderful spaghetti dinner.

San Ramon Tournament

I was matched up with a great left-handed player in the doubles tourney in San Ramon Saturday, Russell the former pro tennis player. We won all our matches and took first place, winning a $25 Cheese Cake Factory gift certificate. Really nice.

We played seven games total and ended stronger than we started. Barry remembered giving me the same partner twice in-a-row, therefore compensated with Russ. I played well and because he was left handed there were very few holes.

Semi-Final Match

I practiced for an hour after work last night and I think that made the difference in my match with Steve this morning. I practiced a serve Shawn used on me in Antioch in which the server stands in the middle of the court and z-serves to the left back corner. The ball passes by the front of the server as it crosses the court. Steve had never seen this serve form me before and it threw him off. I was in the lead the entire match and won decisively 15-5, 15-4. I felt good all morning and put my shots away when I needed to.

Now the stage is set for the Club One Championship Monday night, 1/31, at 6:00 between me and my young gun nemesis, Tyrone. T and I were in the finals last summer, but he pulled his calf muscle and had to stop in the second game. I’m sure he’ll go the distance in this game. It should be a great match. T’s been playing tough opponents in tournaments and will undoubtedly bring everything he has to the match. He wants to win as badly as I. My edge will be in minimizing the number of mistakes I make. That will be the key for me.

I'll lob serve him a lot and keep a leisurely pace to the game. That sort of strategy seems to work best with Tyrone. I'm not going to tire him out. The shorter the rallies, the better my chances of winning.