Fiend at Court Unplugged
In the spirit of the holiday season, my mind inevitably turns to all the gifts I have bestowed on my opponents this year on the court. Nobody likes to give away free points, but almost all of us do from time to time. Usually those donated points are mundane affairs, double faults, missed sitters, and poor shot selection based on nothing other than absence of concentration. All of those dot my personal competitive landscape. However, across the myriad of points I have donated over the years, one stand out above all others. I remember it like it was yesterday.
It happened at the Texas Masters a few years ago, which is a traditional tournament that is bigger than the Sectional Championship. In a match that I was supposed to win, but that had become way tighter than I anticipated, my opponent hit a ball that was clearly sailing long. In fact, I am 100% sure that it did just that. Unfortunately, I forgot to watch the actual bounce.
I failed to recognize my error of omission until I stepped up to the line to serve the next point. It was at that moment that I realized that I had failed to make a prompt call on the ball. Additionally, I had no idea where it actually bounced. Even worse, I tried to take the coward’s way out by asking my opponent where we were with the score, hoping that she would make the de facto call for me.
She responded by indicating that she wasn’t sure since she didn’t hear a call on her last shot. Busted. I had no choice other than to concede the point.
My friends later told me that the ball was at least three feet beyond the baseline. Playing an out ball is one thing. When it is close, it is the inevitable mark of good sportsmanship. Hitting a ball that is going out on the fly kicks it up a notch, but that can be a split second decision that is understandable. Playing a ball that is three feet out… that actually bounced… is an epic lapse in concentration that I doubt anyone can match.
That being said, and with apologies to Paul Simon, there are probably 50 additional ways to donate a point.
- You just slip out the back, Jack. This is hitting the ball long while your opponent is entangled in the side fence with no chance to recover into the court. The hardest shot in tennis is the completely open court.
- Make a new plan, Stan. You were playing tactics that were working well but inexplicably decided to start doing something else that isn’t working at all.
- You don’t need to be coy, Roy. This is shot selection that opts for risky cute shot over a sure thing winner. Why hit an easy cross court when you can demonstrate just how close to the net you can bounce a drop shot.
- Just get yourself free. This is hitting the ball into the back fence because you are trying to get that quick free point. Instead, you gave one to your opponent.
I am sure this just scratches the surface on ways to give away a point. I would love to hear other tales of epic point donations.
