Tennis results 29 Nov 2010-- Another win

After a tight set and a couple of games, I have won the match with Dave 6-3,6-1 and will stay at #1.Every Victory is sweet but this was extra sweet due to the opponent and the challenge he poses. My good friend Jack had a sub par performance but because he plays in the 7 games x 3 players format, he will more or less hold his spot in the Top quarter of the draw at #6.

I didnt get to the courts with right frame of mind as my family fell sick over the weekend and i am feeling some effects of it especially since i had less than 3 hours of sleep last night. My opponent , as is typical of him, had a few excuses himself.

I won the toss and elected to receive. No specific reason but i thought i can put some early pressure on him and also use that game to warm myself up {a tip i learnt from an online tennis forum}. Interestingly the game came down to deuce and on the following No-ad point , after a long rally, i hit a Down the line forehand shot that clearly clipped the line. My opponent even pointed where it hit the ground. I assumed i went up a break and started my serve and i announced the score as 1-0. After holding my serve ,i assumed i went up 2-0 but thats when i was surprised by my opponent who called the score as 1-1. I was a bit miffed but i broke his serve again and then held to move up 3-1. We then stayed with serve until i broke on his last game to win the set 6-3.

In the second set, I was indecisive as i couldn't decide between playing the Clock (as it is around 08:10 pm) Or play the full set. My original thought was as long as i win 3 games, the match is out of reach for my opponent as i didnt want to stay beyond 0830 PM. Starting to serve, i went down a break at 0-1 but broke him back immediately to make it 1-1. I saw the situation getting tight as I was 0-40 down on my serve. If my opponent gets the lead in this set, he may ask to continue beyond 0830 and if the score is close (or in his favor) it might not be good sportsmanship to decline that. Frustrated a bit, i hit 4 good first serves in a row and managed to get my nose in front. It was relatively smooth after that as i won the set 6-1.

I used tips from Jack and from an online tennis forum. Jack suggested that i keep the ball deep with some top spin. Online forum suggested that the best way to handle a slice (my opponent is one of the best slicers in the ladder) is with some slice of my own.

Next week, i will be playing Luciano again and it will be interesting to see what tactics Luciano will use against me. Based on substitution scenarios next week, it is very likely that the winner of our match will be playing Paul.

Tennis results 22 Nov 2010-- #1 again

At first it looked like i would be blown off the court. Then it looked like it might be too little too late. Then i prevailed. It also needed a lucky break from an opponent , who isn't known for offering such breaks. I survived a hard evening at Tennis and managed to come out 3-6,6-3 ,(7-2) against Luciano.

Jack lost a heart breaker against Dave. After splitting sets (i.e. one set each), Jack lost 5-7 in a tie breaker. I overheard a few conversations from their court and it appeared like there is little bit of drama. Dave's matches generally are of controversial genre.

Coming back to my match, once again my slow start killed me. Off late, this is becoming chronic and i am not exactly sure how i fix this issue. Even before i realized , i fell behind 5-0 after Luciano won the toss and elected to serve. A lot of it is my own doing and my opponent helped my losing cause by offering a steady diet of Moon balls. Going into the match, I knew i would be playing a lot of moon balls. I spent a lot of time last week, trying to put together a good game plan against Moon balls. In the end, the best option seemed to be what Jack has indicated last time i lost to this opponent. i.e., use my forehand and stay aggressive. At a minimum, i had to score points of balls that hang around service line.

From the very beginning, i had a choice of moon balls. Moon balls to Backhand, Moon balls to forehand, Moon balls in the center, Moon balls near the net , well you get the point. I decided to go down fighting. Jack and i talked about this aspect and we decided that i should Play to win and Not to play the defensive game so as not to lose the match. I took big cuts at the ball and i overcooked several shots. I also managed to hit a few winners but wasn't consistent enough. My serve didn't click and i also lost a couple of deuce games (i wouldn't win any deuce games this night --4 in total). Behind 0-5, I more or less thought the match was over. This opponent is a great front runner and with the way things were going, a comeback seemed unlikely. However a couple of easy points on my serve made it 1-5. Right around this time, a rally showed me that i might have some hope against moon balling opponent in the following weeks (I still didn't think i had a shot tonight as both scoreboard and clock are against me)

The rally itself wasn't special. All i did was i pushed back on few moon balls and then suddenly unloaded on them. This pace change up seems to have worked as my opponent couldn't read what was coming. Even then it wasn't easy as my opponent is one of the best in making opponents hit one more shot. The more i tried this strategy, the more it worked and i managed to get the score to 5-3. On His serve at 5-3, i took it to Deuce but couldn't convert on the break point and lost the set 3-6.

There is still 35 minutes of play left but i fell behind 0-2 in the second set. Both games went to Deuce but i couldn't convert. I more or less gave up on the night but wanted to make sure that the strategy/tactic i tried is at least practical if i face him in future. So i tried to be patient on rallies and picking moments to hit big forehands. I tied the match at 2-2 and then stayed on serve till 3-3. Then i held and broke my opponent for 5-3 lead in second set.

It is 0830 and the players from 0830 walked into the court. I asked my opponent if he can continue on another court OR if it is a wrap. I told him clearly that i understand if he choses to call it a night (and i meant it). He agreed to play and we moved to another court. I held my serve to make it even. In the tie breaker, I had even more moon balls, but i now had a measure of his shots and despite long rallies i jumped onto 2-1 lead and then to 6-1 lead. I finally closed out the tie break at 7-2. I credit Luciano for agreeing to continue playing and appreciate his gesture and sporting spirit. He had every right not to play after 0830 but by agreeing to play risked losing the match (and he did). It sure did change my opinion.

The win moves me to #1 again but sadly Jack will drop to #5. If he won, we both would have played the dream final one more time. Despite us both staying at top 4 more than two months, we only managed to play once at the top spot. It just shows how deep this ladder is. I am sad that jack lost but i see this as a minor blip and is only a week away from back to Top 4.

Next week i will be playing Dave. It wont be easy but i am looking forward to it.

15 Nov 2010 Tennis results--New ranking order again

Essentially Jack and I swapped places from last week. Coming into this monday, jack is at #2 and i was at #3. We finished the evening with me at #2 and jack at #3.

Even before I hit the courts, i knew i was going to be the #2. My opponent Dan sub'd out and that basically means that irrespective of how i played today, i would be the #2 and will have a chance to play for #1 next week.

Our Commissioner Steve played with me as a sub for Dan. My focus today wasnt as much as winning but try to get back the swagger on my forehand. I didnt hold back and hit some really heavy forehands. I won the first set 6-3 and was trailing 2-4 in second when we ran out of time. Ofcourse i was leading 5-1 in first set! . I havent hit as many aggressive forehands in a while and towards the later part of the set, i ran out of steam. In Second set, i still hit winners on the forehand but clearly running empty on gas.

The intention of hitting as many forehands and staying aggressive was two fold. One is to get my forehand back. Second is to prepare for moon balling battle in the near future. Given my last week's performance against Moon balls, i feel that some opponents might chose that option against me. Hopefully i prove them wrong. I have better feel for my forehand now and hope that it continues.

While my tennis outing is mostly uneventful, Jack lost a tight battle against Luciano. No matter what the result is, it wouldnt be surprising as we are talking about the best of best players in the ladder here and they have beaten each other before. Before the match, i was chatting with Jack and i felt he had a good game plan. I have paused during my match to watch their game and hence can speak as a spectator. It came down to a few points here and there but i personally felt that Jack didnt use the oppurtunities he had. While his court positioning is excellent, he occasionally charged the net but couldnt close the rallies and this allowed Luciano to get back into the rally. Jack was successful being aggressive but at the same time, also over cooked some shots in that process.

The result is a bit disappointing and somewhat anti climatic for Jack but in the big picture this is an insignificant result. Once Jack makes his offensive adjustments, he will do just fine against Luciano. Next week Jack will play Dave , our resident Slap chop specialist. It is never an easy match against Dave but Jack has more success against Dave than most players in the ladder.

My task is cut out next week. I will play Luciano. I expect a ton of moon balls and this time i hope to do a bit better. My serve didnt show up this monday either so i am hopeful that it will be back next week. One thing is for certain. I really dont want to play a one dimensional pushing game. Sure, it got me the #1 ranking but it didnt give me the satisfaction. Hitting a bunch of winners sure feels full and makes my tennis that much complete. So i will play Positive tennis.My biggest concern right now is my right shoulder. It is paining a bit since a week or so (probably started after my Badminton game wednesday) and will need to nurse it well to be ready for next monday.

08Nov2010 tennis results

I lost my match against Luciano 2-6,2-6. However Jack won his match against Carl 7-6 and will move up. Essentially i will become #3 while Jack becomes #2.

There isnt much to write about my match. My serve wasnt working and Forehand wasnt working either. Luciano found a cash cow(point cow) and he just floated balls like in Badminton and milked me. For whatever reason, i didnt come up with a good strategy. It is not like i am not familiar with moon balls. I probably could have moved back a feet or two behind baseline and handled them OR i could have stepped in and taken them on the rise OR I could have hit some aggressive shots instead of putting back in play. Needless to say i made a strategic error and i paid for it. Despite the score line, the games are really close and this is with no serve. Basically i couldnt get my first serves in at all. In the second set, when the outcome is long decided, i hit couple of aces. Too little, too late. I probably have about 10% of my first serves in today.

I think this loss made me realize something. Chatting briefly with Jack, he pretty much summed it up. Luciano left balls hanging in mid court and i did nothing with them. Essentially i need to get back my forehand of the past. if not for my serve, i dont even belong in the top groups let alone #1 spot. My focus going forward is to restore the forehand and make it a weapon.

Ofcourse this will take time. But if i were to play this player again, i will be ready. It is unlikely that i will have as bad a serving day as i had today. I already have a game plan in mind and pretty positive it will work.

Jack put in a good show against Carl. From what i can see he is having fun and playing as good as ever. Carl is a dangerous opponent as he can fire off both sides. Carl is also coming off a big win last week and when in form , is one of the toughest opponents to play. I fully expected Jack to win though the final score 7-6(3) is too close for my comfort, in the end having a W is all that matters. Good job Jack.

Jack will be carrying the torch next week as he squares off against Luciano. My opponent is unknown at this time but i expect it to be Dan or Dave. I will be playing Next sunday so i am not certain if i going to play next monday. With Wednesday badminton in the mix, it is very tight schedule and also hard to give 100% on all these 3 nights. I will probably make my decision around friday.

Still, The road to #1 passes through Jack or me. One of us have been playing for #1 (or been a #1) for the last 5 weeks and tradition continues next week as well.

The Dream Final - 01 Nov 2010

There was a lot of excitement and media frenzy over the dream final between me and Jack. In fact, we both did some promotion at a local pub on friday evening.

As expected, the dream final turned out to be a good match albeit a standard fare that me and Jack offered to our fans over the years. The match went along the expected lines with some service breaks and some good holds. Lots of rallies and some really tricky shots from both players.

In the end, we fell way short of time. When we stopped I lead the score 6-4,2-1 and hence i was deemed the winner. The score board doesnt say the whole story and there were atleast 4 (or 5) deuce games out of the 13 games we played. Those could have gone either way and i believe we mostly split the deuce games.

The way he is playing now, I can see why Jack is winning his matches. His serve created some issues for me. His forehand has improved significantly. His Backhand has always been solid. He knows when to pick his spots. He never let me gain any momentum and put me under constant pressure. When i tried to overpower him, he returned the shots with interest. Most of my serves, which could have been winners against other players came back with some interest.Despite trailing the match at times, Jack never gave up and constantly applied pressure and made a comeback several times.

In the end, like it does in most of our matches, came down to a few points here and there.I was lucky i got them. I didnt do any strategy in particular.This evening Jack controlled most of the rallies except when i got good serves in.

Unfortunately tonight is one of those nights, no matter what result it is, wouldn't have made me happier. I wanted me to win and i also wanted Jack to win.

With this result I will become #1 again and Jack will drop to #3 spot.

Our biggest achievement still is having both of us ranked #1 and #2. We did that Twice. Having already played 7 weeks, we have finished more than quarter of a season , may be half the season. Just to get some perspective, last year i played around 12 weeks in total.

Simply put, this is the most successful season for both of us. I am looking forward to us meeting again in the near future at the top of the ladder.

Magnificent!!! -- 25 Oct 2010-- The Dream Final is On (again)

Magnificent !!

Oh , Oh, Magnificent

During my drive to the Tennis club, i was listening to U2 (the Irish rock band from Dublin) 's famous number "Magnificent". As we finished the evening, This tennis season was looking magnificent.

In a match befitting of his Tennis Samurai title, Reigning World #1, Jack successfully defended his world ranking in a pulsating final against Luciano. Defending the ranking is a tough act and in this process Jack has proved (again) that he belongs in the Tennis Elite and also set the history straight against a player he had losing record against.

CONGRATULATIONS JACK.

I have followed Jack's Tennis game very closely over the years and this season he is playing in an altogether different level. He showed great poise in winning a tie breaker when the match was tied at one set all. At this time his game is well rounded and he has found great balance in using his variety.

I can report more good news. Having not played last week (due to work commitments) i was bumped down to #3 and i had to play Dave. Though it wasnt pretty, in fact it was anything but that, i managed to come out a winner with a 3-6,6-0 and (7-5) tie breaker. In spite of falling behind twice (first game 0-5 and 0-4 in the tie breaker), i managed to fight back and pull the match.

Our respective wins means that the Dream final is on , again. Jack and I will be squaring off against each other next monday. For Fans who missed out the last time due to my schedule constraints, there will be another opportunity next monday.

I wasnt happy with my match at all. I started off slow and fell behind 0-5. This is only week 2 of my 5 week training and i was still erratic on my fitness and couldnt warm up fast enough. My opponent has one of the best Slice Chop shots and is good at deflecting his opponent players pace with biting slice. I definitely had difficulty timing my shots on his chops and slices.

I generally try to block out my opponents antics but unfortunately this opponents were beyond tolerable. I was ok with his meaningless ramblings about aches, pains, grips, lights and what not. I was even ok when he made blatantly incorrect calls. Where it struck a nerve was the fact that he would stand up to serve at the centre line with one leg on either court (This is against Tennis rules which clearly states that both legs should be inside the imaginary extensions of Center line and Singles line). He then tops it off with a commentary about how he could never lose a point and heavens forbid should it happen , is due to an opponent being lucky.

Though i fell behind 0-5, it could easily have been 3-2. I lost two of my serve games on Deuce (at No AD). Both times my first serve was called OUT. I didnt get a good look at first one but the second time it was blatant. My serve hit the T and skidded off with a very noticeable movement.

Another game was on his serve, At deuce, he hit a good serve but i happened to hit a good return albeit from an off position. I was certain my return was in but he called out.

I said to myself that at 0-5, i shouldn't give up and at least win a game. A bagel set would almost certainly result in my elimination (as my opponent just needs to win one game in second set to come out winner as he would have won more games than me). Before thinking second set, i at least want get my serve going which wasnt clicking. I played a good game with decent serves and made it 1-5. I broke his serve at love and made it 2-5. As luck would have it, i converted a Deuce game on my serve (though i was up 40-15) and made it 3-5. I would have one more deuce game on his serve,but i couldnt convert it and lost the set 3-6.

During the break , i didnt talk much with my opponent as i was still feeling cheated on line calls and more importantly on him crossing the center mark on serves. I resolved to fight better.

I stayed strong on serve and tried playing deep in rallies. Though his slice is still troubling, i got a measure of his shots and also was able to guess where he is going with his shots. Leading 4-0 (after a double break of my opponents serve), i stuttered a bit and fell behind 0-40. One ace, one service winner, one good rally bought it to Deuce. Another service winner made it 5-0.

This when my misinterpretation of rules almost proved costly. I assumed if i win the second set right away (ie giving less than 3 games to opponent) i would be the winner of the night because i would have won more games. I couldnt be more wrong. I broke my opponents serve again and made it a 6-0 bagel. I was ready to walk off court.

Ofcourse it wasnt that easy and there is more drama. My opponent went and spoke with commissioner , who made a ruling that we have to play a tie break. This completely threw me off and i was fuming. In the hindsight, i probably shouldnt be this animated(or agitated) but i can attribute it to my opponent antics. I am not in agreement with this ruling at all. We determine winners by "Sets" or "# of games" but not both. On one hand, this ladder rule book says that it is the # of games that determines the winner . Very recently , a match was awarded to a player despite losing first set because when the match stopped this player won more games (eg: player A lost first set 6-7 but lead second set by 3-1 when the play stopped. Player A was declared winner)

I didnt want to pick up a fight then returned to the court to play the tie breaker. My heart wasnt even in the breaker. I fell behind 0-4 and one of them was a bad call on my serve. I wasnt sure what exactly i did but some how pulled it back to 4-5 and it included two good serves (an ace and a winner). My opponent serving at 5-4, lost both points with good rallying and moved forward at 6-5. I won a rally on second serve as opponent went long handing me the match. He wasnt happy with that call but of course the ball though close was clearly long . In fact i was standing right behind where the ball handed and had a very good look at it.

I then started watching Jack's match.I only caught the tail end of the match (actually their tie breaker as they both had one set a piece). Jack closed out the match with an awesome backhand cross court passing shot.

All this sets up a dream final match for Jack and me. New computer rankings will have him retain his #1 rank while i will be placed at #2. This is actually an inverse of where we stood exactly two weeks ago.

We both will have our chances and barring any off night scenarios, it is likely to be a long match. Jack's current form makes him a formidable challenge for me but i am looking forward to the match. We waited for 3 years to play at the top of the ladder and finally it looks like it will happen. No matter who the winner is, the result isnt likely to change much. Having played a hundred or so times so far, we both won (and lost) against each other. Make it hundred +1 this coming monday.

What makes me really happy is the fact that , this season, Jack and I finally assumed control at the top of the ladder.In 6 weeks of the regular season, Jack and i were #1 at 4 of them. This fulfills one of the goals we both set for us--ie for us to play each other in the ladder final. Three years ago, we were players at 0830 hoping to move up and make a presence at 7pm. Though few players left,Most of the players still remain the ladder and we had some new talent coming in as well. From being a push over, when we made the 7pm cut to being the 'players to beat', our respective games have come long way. Though we cant bask in this glory forever, we at least need to pause a bit and enjoy the moment (yes, this isnt a Grandslam or a world champion ship.But we arent professional tennis player either. Bunch of self coached It technicians playing recreational tennis)

The season is very young and our tennis budgets are very limited. We will need to use Sub(stitutes) and have to fore go some ranking points so that we can stretch our tennis dollars into Feb/March. This and few other factors such as "off nights", "other players playing great tennis" and "new talent" means that staying at the #1-#3 spots will remain a constant challenge.

Driving back home, I felt good about Magnificent tennis season so far.

Magnificent !!

Oh , Oh, Magnificent

Monday Tennis results (11-Oct-10) -- The One -two Punch and Sold out tickets

It was three years in the making but we finally did it. Staying true to the media exit polls and current form, Jack and I won our respective matches and setup a dream final next monday. When the new computer rankings come out next week, Jack and I will be ranked #2 and #1 respectively.Minutes after the results came out, Tickets for next monday's session were fully sold out.

Congratulations Jack !!

As widely predicted, Jack out gunned Dan in a pulsating 6-4,6-2 match. Playing in the court next to me, i caught glimpses of Jack's game and it looked like he handled Dan far more easier than i did though the score board doesnt seem that way. It is Jack's show once again and this time he also bought in his serve that posed problems for Dan. Dan simply had no answer for Jack's offense and had trouble penetrating Jack's defense. Though i couldn't see all of the match, it appeared like Jack used his full repertory of shots and used them at various points to take control of the match.In the brief post match interview ,One could tell from looking at Jack that he is very happy to fight for #1 rank come next week. Dan indicated that he was rushing as he was running out of time. Not having full details i wasnt sure what it meant.

Staying with the trend this season, i started the match nervous. During the warm up i saw Luciano hitting full range of shots --slices, flat shots, lobs and the whole suite. I wasnt timing the ball well during the warm up. I picked up a few things that helped me during the match.

Despite being nervous and some what tired, i broke Luciano after he elected to serve,to begin the evening but any happiness i had evaporated quickly as Luciano broke me back. We stayed on serve till 2-2. I broke him at 3-2 and then held through the set for a 6-4 win. There were some really tight moments and I managed to navigate them using my Serve and passing shots. Though the score board says i won 6-4, it wasn't easy.

Second set was far more to my liking. With first set under my belt, Luciano really needed to win the second set by at least 3 game margin to emerge as a winner. I broke Luciano's serve in the begining of second set and then held mine to go up 2-0. With Shot clock not on his side (it was about 08:15 and Luciano needs to win 5 games in a row in 15 minutes to have a chance), Luciano tried to force action but was broken at Love. Leading 3-0, I knew the match was more or less over. It is extremely unlikely that anyone can pull of 6 straight games in remaining 10-15 minutes (and i wouldnt have stayed beyond 08:30 this night). In any event, Luciano kind of went away after that and i won the set comfortably at 6-0.

The keys to my win are my passing shots and serve. It also helped that Luciano had an Off night.Luciano is one of the good net players in the ladder. He sneaks in almost unnoticed and can hurt you with his net game on both sides. I missed my first few passing shot oppurtunities in the first set and i am thinking that he might have been encouraged by that and was charging net more. I believe that my passing shots are underrated. In any event, i won a lot more than i lost on passing shot oppurtunities. Excluding the one game i got broken, i saved the only break point of the night with a clean Ace down the T.

I am thrilled that i managed to defend the #1 ranking successfully. It adds a little more credence to the player when he defends his title. Another confidence boosting aspect for me. Coming into this match, Luciano lead 26- 21 when considering the games played,against me. Post this match i turned it around and now i lead the head to head with 33-30.

Now the bad news for me. My work priorities will have me travel next week and i will not be able to play next Monday night to defend my ranking. Even sad for me is that, i will be missing the matchup against Jack. Despite the fact that Jack is playing awesome tennis and is probably the player to beat, I think i would have my fair share of chances against him in the final.Over the years , we played so many matches and there are no surprises when we play each other. Because of me withdrawing next week, i will be dropping to #3 and will be playing against #4 player the following monday (Oct 25).

But the Good news is that, assuming the Commissioner follows the rule book , Jack will assume the #1 rank as he is currently #2 and with the #1 player (me) withdrawing from next week's draw. As a former #1 player and as someone who reached #2 last year, Jack is a deserving #1 player and this result shouldn't come as a surprise. From a match up perspective, Jack might be playing Luciano next week and a strong showing would cement his place at the top.

Regardless of what happens during the rest of this young season, It is a great achievement for Jack and me. Over the course of three years, we talked several times about how we both should be playing for the title in prime time. We both contributed to each others game improvement and shared our scouting reports and other tips. Of course neither of us are planning to stop here and will continue improving our respective games.

While it is clear that Jack results are due to his improved game, my results are nothing but shocking. There are No noticeable improvements in my game. While my serve has gotten a bit more consistent, i have been known as a decent server in the ladder for quite some time. While a favorable draw could be a reason for #1 ranking, it still doesnt explain the mostly one sided results i have been having. I am winning 75% of the games played and that is way above my career average of 50%. So sooner or later i expect a market correction and my game to come back to earth.

New World Order , Double Impact and Monday Tennis 04 Oct 2010 resultsetc

When the Computer rankings come out next week, we will have a new #1 and a change at #4 in the ladder. (Drum roll and applause please). Both Jack and I won our respective matches and therefore I have clinched the #1 rank after beating Dan 6-2,6-3 while Jack will move to #4.


Congratulations Jack. Jack is showing the form that catapulted him to #1 ranking two years ago, except that he is playing even better. He is one of the best counter punchers in the ladder and when he is playing this well, he is almost unstoppable. He will be playing Dan next week and I fully expect Jack to win that duel and move up to challenge the #1 rank in two weeks from today. He is playing Smart, serving well, playing the net well and his court positioning is awesome. if we manage to hold form, who knows?. we both might be playing at the very top of the ladder.


As you all know, Except for a little outfit that goes by the name ATP (Association of tennis Professionals) where players like Nadal and Federer play, every one else recognizes our ladder rankings ;)


#1 spot eluded me for quite some time and i have been at it for about 3 years now. Its been quite a journey. I still remember the first day i played in the ladder in 2007 October (when i threw away the last 3 games after i won first 4 against Warren thinking that i have won the match , not realizing every game counts). Finally i can check off the #1 ranking off my list.


Though the end result (6-2,6-3) and score seems like easy work, it was far from that today.
My serve wasnt firing today and i really had to do it the hard way. Dan ran me from side to side and front to back. Rallies were extremely long and there was a rally that i believe was like a 50 shot rally or something --i wasnt counting but that rally lasted 4-5 minutes. Despite being outgassed, serve not firing, No particular weapon clicking, i still managed to win. I did it with lots of defense and ofcourse some trade mark tactics.


Despite telling myself several times to chill a bit , i guess i put some pressure on myself. Last couple of weeks i played as if i got nothing to lose. This was predicated on the fact that i didnt have a good summer and tennis wise i did nothing to add to my game.I came to the court this evening very tentative having lost several finals before (last season i played for #1 rank 6 times--3 times it was Eric,Vishwas once , Luciano Twice. I had match points against Luciano and Vishwas but didnt convert). I knew tonight was a great chance as i am playing an opponent i have beaten before. Despite not wanting, these past facts were circling in my mind and made me nervous and tight.

Another rule change in the ladder also contributed to my nervousness. Unlike the past where winning sets carried a lot of weight, our commissioner switched to "Number of game won" approach. For example, if Player A won the first set 7-6 but was down in the second 1-3 when the play stopped, it is advantage Player B (as B has 9 games to A's 8) and he will be considered winner for the night. Though i think this is a bit unfair, there are really no good options here. We are playing in a time bound ladder where the courts need to be freed up for the next batch to come in and play.


The biggest disadvantage in this format is , if a player loses the first set by a big margin, it is almost impossible to stage a come back in the second set. In fact winner of first set can "run out the clock" (almost like running out Shot Clock in Basket ball) in the second set and virtually leave the other player no chance.


With this in back of my mind, i knew first set is extremely critical and that only added to the pressure.


After a brief Warm up Dan won the toss and elected to Serve. I did pick up couple of things from the warmup. Dan has an improved backhand and that he has got good slice. This was something different from when i last played Dan. Ofcourse this didnt change my game plan per se but was something i knew i had to factor in.


The first game was uneventful and Dan held despite me keeping it tight till 30-0. Serving from behind (as i lost the toss), i fell in 15-40 hole. This is when i said to myself to take it easy and if i lose the match, it is not the end of the world.With serve not clicking, i played some great defense to win the first point, hit a passing shot on second and at Deuce (we are playing No AD) i hit a service winner into Dan's Body to even the set at 1-1. I broke Dan at 2-1 after losing a rally which i believe was a 50 shot rally or something.


Entire night followed the same tone. I couldnt really hit winners off the rallies. Dan played very tight and i couldnt over power him as i was tentative and couldnt really rip winners. Serve wasnt particularly clicking but at the same time worked in patches to bail me out.The key was my defense which stayed sharp and really forced Dan to be conservative. i pinned him to the middle of the court to cut off the angles that his lefty forehand can come up with.After a while he realized what was going on but couldnt really counter that tactic.


Once i broke Dan and held my serve to make it 3-1 Dan was playing catch up and i broke him again and held to make it 4-1. I finally had good serving game to close the set out 6-2.


Now with a set under my belt, i looked at the time and we had about 30 minutes left. Normally this is enough to play out a set (Jack and i average around 23 minutes a set when we both play each other). My goal now (and this where this new rule change is not good for coming from behind) is to win 3 games and i will have effectively won the match as Dan won only 2 in the first set. I however have to watch out for some things. By winning first set at 6-2, i have a 4 point lead however i dont have the tie breaker in case we tie on the game won (as Dan was the prevailing #1 and he would hold the tie breaker) . What this meant was i only have a 3 point advantage. In other words, i have to make sure that i should not have more than 3 point differential.


Eg: If Dan was leading 5-1 OR 4-0 OR 6-2 in the second when the play stops, He would tie me on the total games and hence will win the evening.


Dan held serve albeit easily and played a great second game on my serve that went to Deuce. Luckily i managed to pull the game and even the tie at 1-1. I broke Dan on the next game and brought me a 2-1 lead. It is almost 0830 and i knew if i stop the play then, i would be the winner anywayz. Dan wanted to continue playing. I was tired and Dan's top spin shots started to wear on me. Players who got the court at 0830 walked in. Dan wanted to continue playing on another empty court. Despite my brain saying not to(tactics wise), i agreed to play.


The real reason why i agreed to play was to stay true to the spirit of the game. I am fortunate to play some good players who are extremely sportive. I remembered Jack , who still calls questionable calls in opponents favor , despite him being break point/match point down. I also remembered Carl ,Paul and Dan himself. All these guys are good sports and play the game in a fair and square manner. So i decided to continue and take the result whatever it may--even if it costs me #1 ranking. It isnt really that risky considering that i already have a 2-1 lead in the second and just need one more game to put the match away from Dan.

Luckily , despite me losing serve one more time, i managed to break Dan's serve enough times to win the set 6-3 and make it a convincing victory. Looking back at this very young season which is just 3 weeks old, i put up some impressive numbers. I played 52 games (39 won, 13 lost) for a 75% win.

I didnt expect to become #1 this season , this early. So how did i do it?. Sit on couch all summer and add 10 lbs to my weight. No running (ankle injury) , No works outs (not enough equipment or time at home. Not a lot of tennis matches (Ankle injury and Jack's availability).
Now that this has been done, what are my next goals? I will reflect on those items on another post.

Monday Tennis results (27-Sep-10) -- Double Whammy

Unlike other posts, you dont have to read till the end to know the result. I am spilling the beans right away. Both Jack and I posted impressive results tonight. Jack finished with 15 games and I won both sets i played. Jack will make an appearance in the TOP 8 of the ladder while i will be at #2 and will have an oppurtunity to play for #1.

Both Jack and I are tucked away on different parts of the draw so there is no classic Jack vs me. My draw consisted of playing Carl in best of 3 sets. This is the new format our commissioner drew up this season. Not sure how long he will continue with this but essentially we have two singles matches at the top, followed by two groups of 4 at the 7 PM. Simply put,

#1 and #2 play a best of 3 sets match

#3 and #4 play a best of 3 sets match

#5,6,7,8 play the Top of 7 pm with each player playing 7 games each against other three.

#9,10,11,12 play bottom of 7 pm with each player playing 7 games each against other three.

The advantage of this format is that instead of traditional 10 slots at 7pm, it provides 12 slots.

The Night simply belonged to Jack.Jack draw is what i would describe as wild wild west. It originally consisted of Roger, Richard,Paul and Jack. This was tempered a bit by Richard's subsitution with Gabe. Regardless , Jack was playing in the toughest pool of the night. Squaring off against Roger to start the night, he fell in a 0-3 hole but came out 4-3 and followed it with a 5-2 rout of Paul and ended with 6-1 domination of Gabe to take his tally to 15 points. Though Roger kept close with 14 points, the night clearly was Jack's. I caught a few points during the breaks in my match and it was classic Jack counter punching, outrunning, volleying and some good hard court shots.

Congrats Jack..This win is definitely confidence boosting and could be the stepping stone in Jack's journey to the very top of the ladder.

Coming back to my outing, it is a bit different story.I played Jack on friday and won 7-5. I also played on saturday with another friend and had a good outing with 6-2 and 1-3 score line. I had a poor sunday. Jack and his friend Andy steam rolled me. They blitzed me with 3-0 score lines-twice. That is i lost all the 12 games i played against them. So i wasnt sure what to expect on Monday.

Carl and me were playing a best of 3 sets match as players seeded 3 and 4. I won the toss and elected to serve. The first couple of serves gave no indication whatsoever of the night i was going to have. Serving at 30-0, i hit the first ace of the night and from that point on, my serve lit up.

I broke Carl quickly to go up 2-0 and stayed strong to finish the set 6-0.

In the second set Carl held despite me having 3 break points to make it 1-0 on serve. Serving from behind, i fought off deuce points to make it 1-1. Then broke Carl, held my serve to make it 3-1 for me. Carl has a strong game and the score line read 3-2. We had to move to another court when i was leading "AD in" . We moved to another court and i finished the game with an Ace. I broke Carl again to go 5-1 and then blasted 3 aces and 1 service winner to finish off the night.

Once again, my serve was the key and it is an understatement. I dont ever remember serving this well. I thought i cant top my last monday's performance on serve. I was wrong. I must have hit a dozen or more Aces and a ton of service winners. It is more amazing if we consider the fact that i didnt win any points on my second serve. Every second serve i made today, Carl punished it with Winners. I am certain that i clocked close to if not more than 100MPH on serves. With Serve staying so strong, i was able to overcome an otherwise mediocre showing of my forehand and backhand.

Clearly there is something about Indoor courts that aids my game. Though i am serving a little bit better these days even outdoors, it isnt even close to how i am serving indoors. I have a theory that might explain. Firstly we use fresh balls indoors; These definitely help hard serves. Secondly, The Indoor club courts take the action on the ball. Ie if we put some spin on the ball, we can see it work In indoor courts better than outdoor courts.

Then there is the wind factor. Indoors offer the advantage of not worrying about Wind, Sun and etc.

Ofcourse there is another secret that i am not going to spill out now.

I havent figured out my next week's schedule. Originally i thought i would switch to sunday's ladder from next week for a few weeks to see how it works out. If it works out well, it would be a better fit for my schedule.

However because of today's results, I will have a chance to play for #1. It is a tempting offer and i will ponder a bit before i make a decision.

Tennis Ladder Opens for Season 2010-2011 (monday night 20-sep-10)

Even before i realized, it is time for indoor tennis season. I have no idea what happened to the Spring and Summer. Injuries consumed most of the time. I couldnt train nor practice and basically this outdoor season is a dud for me.

Unlike other outdoor seasons, i didnt play much tennis and played even less number of players. basically i played tennis samurai Jack and may be once or twice another friend.Added to that i caught some viral infection (or bacterial for all i care) and it hurt my cardio. I couldnt last more than 3 games on Saturday when Jack invited me to play him and a colleague.I tried to hit with another friend on sunday and that lasted even less time.

I was contemplating pulling out of the monday draw for sometime before i realized that i had some time to kill. So i thought i might as well show up and swing fearlessly with out worrying about the results.

Originally myself and jack are on different parts of the draw and arent scheduled to face each other. However some last minute adjustmens to the draw meant that myself and Jack were going to play each other at prime time.

I started out with lefty Mike. I won the toss and chose to serve anywayz. Since this is a 7 game match, by serving first, i can serve 4 games as opposed to my opponent who can only serve for 3 games. Even in the event, i lose my service game once, i can still keep the match close because i can serve 3 more times. For reasons i cant explain, my serve clicked pretty well. we went with serve until i lead 2-1 . I broke mike's serve to go up 3-1 and then held again (on a deuce game) to make it 4-1. Mike also appeared a bit rusty and in the end it was a comforatble 5-2 score for me.

I have no idea how i managed that score line considering that i got so gassed out at times that i stopped chasing the balls. Also i was coughing too much and definitely needed to dial it down a bit.

My next match was with Ding. Despite leading 30-0 on my serve, i ended up losing my serve. I however broke him back immediately to make it 1-1.I held and then broke him to go up 3-1. I held my serve again to make it 4-1. Ding held and i got the last game on my serve for 5-2.

Ding made me run side to side , front to back. Already running on empty tank, this left me even more out of gas and options.

Both with Mike and Ding, i was able to serve very well. In fact , today is the most number of aces/service winners i ever hit during indoor season. Especially i dialled in on the Ad court serve. From that side , i was able to hit down the T or Wide with relative ease. My forehand wasnt working well and back hand is below average. Simply put the score board doesnt say the whole story.

Finally, the match every one was waiting for. me and Jack squaring off on Opening night. This is what our fans are looking for ever since me and jack confirmed our entries into the ladder. Jack is always a tricky opponent for me regardless of H2H (head to head) record. Because we play each other a lot, things that i do which pose challenges to some opponents, have minimal impact on Jack. For example, Jack can read my serve better than any other played i played against. He also knows the spots i attack often (eg:backhand corner) and he probably knows my weakness.

I won the toss and started the serve. My goal was to win atleast 3 games. Walking into this match, i lead the pack with 10 games, Jack had 6, Mike has 7 and Ding had 5. If i can win 3 games then results of other matches doesnt matter and i will top the group--ensuring a 7pm slot the following week.

Like most matches between us, this match went on predictable lines until 2-1. Though there were some interesting rallies , in the grand scheme of things, neither of us did anything different. I kept the ball in play and deep in the middle trying to keep Jack away from Service line area. Jack does most of the damage when the opponent leaves balls hanging around midcourt close to the service box area. He can go cross court or Down the line or dropshot or hit an approach shot. Basically at that point, he dictates the rally and often it is a short rally.

I broke Jack's serve to go up 3-1 and then held mine to keep it 4-1. At this point, i knew that i got enough points to lead the group. I decided to be aggressive on the last two games and not worry about points. I broke Jack's serve to make it 5-1. I was too casual on the last game(my service game) and went down two break points. Two good serves bought it to Deuce. I couldnt get a good serve on my last game and Jack played a good point to draw me to the net and then hit a good passing shot. I didnt even bother to chase as by this time i am spent.

In the end, i won 15 points (5 each against Mike, Ding and Jack) and likely to move up. Ding finished at 11 while Jack and Mike tied at 8 with Mike owning the breaker.

I am impressed with the way i played and was happy with the results but at the same time the underlying issues arent resolved yet. My forehand/backhand didnt work well. My movement wasnt good but i hope once i recover sufficiently from my illness, i will be alright over there. Just waiting to get better to start the training.

I cant be too harsh on myself. It is just the begining of the season. Given the miserable outdoor season i had, i am really not expecting to make a dent at the top of this ladder. I will be happy if i maintain a presence at the top of the ladder. Hopefully i will do better next summer and add enough ammunition to make a good run next year. For this season, my goal is little tempered.

So it is a decent start for the season.

I am not even sure if i play next monday. It depends on the weather (and fitness/health). if there is oppurtunity to play outdoor, i would rather play outdoor and save some $$. Jack is not sure if he would return next week either. It is unknown at this time if he will play at 7 pm or 0830pm next week. Jack loves the 7pm time slot and may return if he stays at 7pm.

A word about 2009 Cricket for charity

Apparently there was a press release about my 2009 cricket for Charity appearence.

http://sites.google.com/site/cricketforcharity/blog/cricket-tournament-to-raise-charity-for-dana-farber-cancer-society

It talks about the last ball catch i took to help my team win the Trophy. Even though its been a year, This little one day outing somehow ended up as good memories of recent times.

I havent played cricket in a long time. I wanted to play this season. Early May i went to participate in my teams practice session. I bowled a few overs and batted a bit and looked good. Clearly tennis game has impacted my cricket game and it was more evident in my batting when i tried to hit every ball after it bounced [in the past i used to quick step to the ball and take it on the rise, especially against slow/spin bowlers]. I thought i would play more cricket but injuries and other commitments kept me away.

Coming back to this 2009 episode, I wasnt sure if i would figure in the Hunts county team (this isnt my regular cricket team but teamed up with a few colleagues ). with 30 people in each team (only 11 get to play), Team management decided that they would alternate players so that every one would get atleast one match to play [teams are guaranteed two matches so they can accomodate 22 players overall].

I didnt get to play the first match for our team. I played in the second match. I got to bowl 1 over and i guess i made the most of it. I didnt give any runs but got 2 (or may be 3) wickets. One of them included a senior executive of our company. I wasnt trying to get him out as i knew he wasnt a cricket regular like me. I was spinning the ball in so that he can get a bat.

I guess that performance convinced teams management to put me in their eleven for the final.I never got to bowl though i would have loved to bowl especially during the later overs. When the game is tightly poised , cricket offers a nail biter excitement far beyond tennis. I enjoy those conditions. primarily becuase such situations require precise execution of game plan. Ie, if bowling during those situations, one's got to keep a tight line and length and try to have the batsmen in check. One loose ball and batsmen can crack a 4 or a 6 and the game can turn on a dime. I have been through several such situations and came out successfully more often.

The game got so tight to the last over (6 balls remaining). finally they needed 2 runs to win off the last ball. All through the match, i was fielding at the point (square of the batsmen) but used to vary where i stand based on what i percieved batsmen was doing. For that last ball, i deliberately moved to my right by about 10 feet. This is strictly gut feel but i also knew that this batsmen is more likely to hit to where i was standing than to my left based on his batting stance.

The ball was bowled, batsmen tried to go square and ball was in the air, i was already running for the catch . The real question at that time was if i fumble the catch. At stake was , batting team making a single run and tie the scores. In case of a tie, batting team would have won based on their net wicket loss. I took the catch fairly comfortably and my team erupted in joy.

The captain needs to be credited as apparently there was a discussion to move my fielding position to opposite side but he persisted anywayz.

I took home the ball that i caught as a souveneir. That game definitely rekindled my interest in cricket and brought back some great memories. The most dominant MCC cricket team that i was part of during early 2000's here in USA, my victorious college team and school teams from the days as a teenager back home.

It is one of those days where i happened to be in the right place at the right time. I took two catches, got 2 (or may be 3) wickets for the 1 over i bowled and didnt concede any runs. I played 1000's of matches since my childhood but never had a winning cup with this little effort.

Injury Update

I am still recovering and havent played tennis a while. Basically Entire July and August of this year are lost for me due to the Ankle injuries.

It started out with Right Ankle swelling in July and early August it was left Ankle. After several tests and deliberations, the leading theory is that the new Addidas Barricade shoes i bought seem to the culprit. Interestingly enough both times when i started seeing Ankle issues, i was playing with these new shoes in the days leading upto the injury. Doctors theorized that i do have flat feet and this new shoes arent providing me with enough Arch Support, thereby putting enough stress on my ankles.

I am on the path to recovery and right ankle has already recovered while left ankle is around 80%. I do plan to start rehab exercises and also start playing some tennis , albeit reduced intensity.

With two full months lost to injuries, i am not in a good position leading into the winter season. With no new additions to my game, lack of match practice, lack of conditioning, all indications are that i am not going to challenge the very best in the winter season, if the season were to begin today.

At this stage, health is more important and i am putting more emphasis on ability to play some tennis than not playing at all. I have taken some time off during September and i am hoping that if i can put together a good september, it is still possible to regain some lost edge.

I estimate that i have about 6 weeks of outdoor season remaining. I can probably squeeze in 10-15 sessions of tennis at the best. I have to rework my plan and decided to focus on the following three aspects.
1) Conditioning/Fitness
2) Overheads
3) Cross Court Forehand

Conditioning/fitness isnt new and up until mid June i am probably one of the fittest guys before injury. Hopefully after rehab of my ankles, i can put in a few good weeks of Gym work and be back to full fitness.

Since i dont have time to rebuild and rework my strokes, i thought i would focus on items that doesnt need major work but are still impactful. I believe i have decent serve mechanics (and smash is my go to shot in Badminton) and hence overheads shouldnt be that hard to learn.By having good overhead shot, i can take away opponents Lobs.

This season (or whatever little of it i played), i was hitting the down the Line forehand pretty good. This has become a money shot in those few matches. Off late i am struggling with Cross court forehands , especially on consistency of that shot. If i can turn it around and make it consistent, my forehand will become formidable.

It is about a year ago, i added Two handed Backhand to my game and now my backhand is very consistent. If i can add overheads and strengthen my forehand , i will be within a shot when the Winter tennis league starts.

I hope to start playing tennis this coming weekend. My agent is working on the schedule ;)

Injury worries

My tennis season never really took off so far. Rains and bad scheduling during most of June forced me to stay low on Tennis.

Towards mid june , i started to finally get into some rhythm. I played with Jack and few other friends and i seemed to find my range on some of my shots especially the Inside-out Forehand.

Just when i felt things are looking up, wheels seem to come off my Tennis Wagon.

During Independence day Long weekend, i ended up with a golf ball sized swelling on right ankle around peroneal tendon area. I am still awaiting MRI results and root cause is unknown. After few days of being unable to walk, now i can do most of my usual work but there is still some pain and it may take some more medication and diagnostics before i can start my rehab.

I then have to restart my fitness efforts and simulateneously also force some tennis action. Probably it wont be until August before i get back into rhythm. That leaves with Just August and Septemeber to make improvements and get ready for Winter tennis season. All of a sudden, the outdoor season looks very very short.

I plan to resume tennis from this weekend , albeit in a limited fasion.

While it isnt a whole lot encouraging, The best thing to do now is be optimistic and look forward. Infact i made the two handed backhand change very late last year (around september time frame) yet i ended up with decent results.

The plan for me is to work on my forehand and make it more explosive. Even some what subtle improvements in forehand and Serve can go a long way for me to go deep into winter ladder.

I also joined a local tennis circuit though i am yet to play a single game.

100% Badminton

My penultimate Badminton session for the season (the last one will be today) was a surprise. I played more than a dozen matches and won every single one of them. I cant remember in the recent times when i had that winning record. I did play against tough opponents and sometimes with a mismatched partner but still ended up winning matches,some of them pretty close.

Last time i remember having a 100% record was almost 4-5 yrs ago.

I dont think i played anything beyond ordinary but i guess i executed well. I had my 'around the head' forehand working and these days i am really moving well--thanks to all the fitness efforts at the gym.

I will be wrapping up the Badminton season tonight, a pizza session followed by light hitting. Traditionally the last session is light on intensity and more like a gathering. Until November, Badminton hits a pause around this area. While there are some places where Badminton can be played, i generally hit a badminton hiatus from May to November. As always, some players drop off for next season while some new players come in.

I enjoy racquet sports and Badminton is one of my all time favorites right behind tennis. I played it intermittently as a kid but since 2002 i have been a regular at this Badmiton club for 7 such seasons. I believe it has helped my tennis game and in general my winter blues.

End of a Badminton season signifies full fledged outdoor tennis and activities. It also reminds me that another season (and year) passed by and i am older by another year.

2009 Winter Ladder Conclusion

While i didnt attend the last official day of Monday night ladder, I was told that there are prized for the top three performers of the season. I didnt expect it but i came in Third behind Luciano and Vishwas.

This prize is another way of confirmation of improvements i made in my game. Arguably there are few more good players (Eric and Tom ) who have consistently beaten me but they didnt play long enough to rake in ranking points. Just like in ATP tennis, one has to play long enough to sustain ranking points.

I knew that i came in third based on the stats website though there was a slight disagreement on who came first between my stats website and the tournament referee.

Even officially, 2009 Winter tennis came to a close. Wednesday night Badminton has two more weeks left before it winds down and will open up my schedule significantly. Hopefully weather will also become more consistent rather than the flaky 70 degree today, 45 degree tommorow weather.

I played Jack over the weekend and despite me taking a 3-1 lead , Jack ended up with 6-4 score. Conditions are extremely windy and i didnt adopt well. Making matter worse, i didnt even play aggressive (the style i really am trying to play). Jack's consistency carried him through. I was way off on my serve and ground strokes.

Winter Tennis Wrap up

With Outdoors warming up and Winter looking like a distant memory, Its time to Close the Winter session of Tennis and look for free tennis outdoors.

My last session was mid March and i didnt play in the ladder after that. Despite that i still remained at the top bracket of ladder until mid April before i pulled out. In any case, the last ladder session is on next monday and i am not playing.

This Winter ladder has been a great experience and i definitely went much further than i ever did. In summary , Even with all the top players (like Eric) in the ladder, i played as a legitimate #3 or #4 and at peak of the season i could arguably be the #2. I became a perennial fixture at the top of the 7pm. This season also established my Two handed Backhand and my movement and defense are more refined.

We also established a Tennis website with all the scores.

http://apex.oracle.com/pls/apex/f?p=24230:5:6207439575252990::NO:::

My 2009 Winter season stats read as follows.

Games won-211,Games Lost-218,Win/Loss Ratio: 00.492

Some of these stats are skewed because of my miserable results towards the late season (not to mention some drubbing by Eric). Still winning 211 games isnt a small feat.

Thats all history now and outdoor season has begun. I havent played any serious matches yet and in any case my results wont be spectacular any time soon as i rebuild my strokes. I am tinkering with my strings, grips and ofcourse forehand. As experience shows, these things take time and during that period results can be disappointing. My goal is to become #1 next winter session and i want to use the outdoor season to arm myself. So i expect Jack to hammer me all over the place during the first few sessions before i can see some good results.

Considering that i played for #1 six or seven times, i am not that far off from being a #1. I have put a lot of work on improving fitness and that should help me practice harder and smarter during the 5 outdoor months. I will be taking some tennis lessons to work my forehand and make it formidable. I will probably doing some video taping and several ball machine drills.

This time of the year also has a few more things to look forward to. NBA playoffs and follow LA Lakers. Ofcourse French Open and Wimbledon are around the corner and USopen is only a few months away.

Out goes Winter, Here comes Outdoor Tennis!!

Tennis Results 08 Mar 2010 -- Great outing ,average results and Good Shoe

After somewhat disappointing results for the past couple of weeks, i finally put together a decent outing. I dont get to move to the top but i stayed at the top of 7 pm on my own merit, not relying on Arbitration /other results.

First of all, I played with my New Babolat Shoes that my wife gifted for my B'day. Ofcourse i did my research and indicated what i wanted to my wife , so i knew what i was getting. These are the most comfortable shoes i have ever played with. My current shoe is also a Babolat 'Team All court ' shoe and fairly comfortable but this new shoe just blow the old one away. I also have a HEAD tennis shoe that i use for my daily Running and that is no where as comfortable as this one. Grip, Traction, Ankle support, This shoe seems to have it all.

I also made a few changes in approaching the matches. I am still finding it hard to shed old habits and i am making a conscious effort to start small. First one of them is , i changed my dress code. I no longer am using my traditional red-white attire. Another ritual i didnt use tonight is the head band based one. Normally i use head band in warmups and then put it away during the match play. Tonight i chose to wear it all night long regardless of my results. Ofcourse, a sponsorship from NIKE may soon be on my way (i can always dream!).

In yet another first, i played Rich for the first time this season. Rich is an old timer and we have had many good encounters in the past. Games wise, i have won more than i lost to him so far. We went with Serve until 3-3. I had one oppurtunity to break his serve but i couldnt. In the 7 game, we went to deuce (despite Rich being up at 15-40) and i couldnt get the lift on a second serve as much as i would have liked and Rich crushed the return to make it a 3-4 night for me. I have however served several good serves , especially the ones down the T. I also played very positive tennis and didnt back off when there is a chance to go for more on the shots.

I played Ding next. The first game went to Deuce but i pulled a good first serve and then stayed on serve until i broke him to go up 4-2. I lost the last game on Deuce to make it 4-3 night for me. In what seemed to be a trend, i hit few good first serves and i also hit some good cross court forehands.

Carl is always a tricky opponent but we stayed with serve until i broke him to go up 3-1. Before our match, i learnt that he has 5 games and i had 7. So i knew that if i win 3 games, i am going to stay up regardless as Carl wont be able to catch me. On the other hand, if one wins 11 games in this ladder format, it is impossible for him to drop down. Once i had 3 games under my belt, i took it little easy but i won the last game of the night anywayz to go up 4-3 on Carl.

With 11 games, i didnt have to check other results as i knew that i will stay put. Since Rich has won 14 games, he will move up. Carl dropped down with 8 games while Ding has 9. If i played a little tighter perhaps i could have caught Rich on games to move up but my goal was to go for shots where possible.

I didnt feel tired whole night and its been a while since i had that feeling. I also liked the fact that i didnt back down to take a shot when there is a chance.One more average week and i will end up closing March at 7 pm-- not a small achivement considering the depth of this ladder. These days we have 3 levels at 0830 and two at 7 pm before one can play for #1. One needs 5 solid weeks of play before they can play for #1 spot. Another not so small achievement:I havent played at bottom of 7 pm since November meaning i have been the top 5 player or better for the past three months.

I am not sure if i am going to play next week but it will be a decision i make on Sunday. The focus on the remaining 1-2 sessions are on proper stroke execution and some fun. I am a little tired of always counting games and each and every point.

Last weekend, outdoor weather was good enough for me and Jack to play outdoors. We played a few tennis tie breakers. It was a bit windy making it very tough to play from a particular side of the court and whoever played on that side, ended up losing the breaker. However it was fun to play outdoors again and cant wait for the weather to get even better.

Tennis Results 01 Mar 2010 -- Sinking Ship?

Despite warm march weather, i had a lame duck session this Monday. I only won 6 games yet i managed to stay up due to Substitutions.

Its only after i started warming up , i learnt that Paul isnt showing up and Steve substituted for him. In the past, i had beaten Steve handily and while i am no longer playing close to the levels of tennis i played during Nov-Dec-Jan, I expected to handle him. Instead i was troubled by his cotton puffy shots and crafty slices. I struggled with my movement and serve. Its a long match, to say the least. We played 7 games for 45 minutes and in the end i lost 3-4.

I played Carl next and it was complete contrast. We went with serve first couple of games. I had oppurtunity to go up 3-1 when carl offered a break point (I was leading 2-1 and carl was serving) but i couldnt convert and we stayed with serve until 3-3. I surrendered my serve meekly in the last game to go down 3-4.

For the first time, i encountered Tom who is probably the best player in the ladder. He joined a few weeks ago and took time to move up the deep ladder (it takes 5 weeks before one can make it to top of 7 pm when starting down the ladder). I didnt win any games against him but i got several games at Deuce, though i didnt convert. He is more consistent and has good top spin ground strokes. His serve isnt over powering. I have good enough game to handle him though it is hard for someone to believe it when they saw me playing yesterday. We ran out of time when i was trailing 0-4.

As it turns out, Tim handled Steve well (7-0) and kind of helped me stay up at top of 7 pm.

I am disappointed on several fronts. I only hit a couple of winners but they werent strategic. I hit good backhand shots but nothing aggressive. I felt so tired playing Steve and i cant explain this either considering that i am putting lots of time on treadmill.

I have a few excuses/reasons/injuries that may explain some of these lack lusture results but neverthless bad performance. Ofcourse, when i embarked on this "improvement" strategy, i expected some nights where i would be off but when i actually had "off" , it was troubling. I guess i have to live upto it.

I will break from the ladder end of March. With four more sessions left in this month, i guess i will play two of them. I am thinking of playing atleast one (or two) of these at 0830 Pm against guys who return the ball back softly so that i can groove my topspin forehand. Its hard to get that kind of practice at top of 7 pm as the guys are too consistent and play deep.

Weather wise coming weekend looks promising and i am considering the possibility of outdoor tennis.

Tennis results Feb 22, 2010 --- Staying Put

I won 9 games in total. 3-4 against Luciano, 2-5 against Al (sub) and 4-3 against Dave C. I tied with Dave on total # of games but will get through in a tie breaker. Luciano won 10 games and will be moving up.Al is a strong 4.0 player and that shows!!

I didnt play with any plan intentionally. I just tried to play and hit shots and tried to be positive. Net result is that i have hit more winners from both flanks and felt good on those shots. However my alternate week of tennis has hurt my consistency --a neccessary keel in my game.

It didnt help that i struggled with breathing issues all through the week and i am currently undergoing tests for my doctor who thinks it is allergies.

Tennis Results Feb 08 2010-- Couldnt get it done

I lost to Paul in a disappointing 3-6,6-1, 5-7 (tie break) game. My game wasnt on and i didnt really get good bearings on my game. I didnt serve well or played well. In the second set i did have occassional flashes of good serves and good passing shots but thats it.

After 6 attempts at #1, it wasnt to be this year. I plan to come back stronger and better next year and hopefully get the job done. The feeling i had after the match is still livid in me and hope that fire burns in me and forces me to practice and play better.

I am not planning to play next week and may play the week after. That gets us into March and i may continue playing alternating weeks until end of March. If there is any oppurtunity to compete at the top, i may be tempted again but i am not eagerly looking forward at this time.

I havent been to Gym since last saturday as i have trouble putting weight on my left leg ankle. I plan to rest till it feels better and then resume work outs and conditioning. I am planning to take some tennis classes in March /April and supplement them with good practice so that i can reinforce what i learnt during the outdoor season.

Overall the season so far is still a very successful season for me. I played consistently at the top and been at #2 for about 6 weeks out of 17 weeks I played so far and been at 7 pm for 15 weeks (just the two weeks i needed to get out of 7 pm). I have beat every player except two (Eric & Vishwas). Made good improvements in Backhand.

So a lot to look forward and learn for the Outdoor season-- Cant wait to take on Jack and Andy outdoors.

More Monday Tennis stuff (01-Feb-2010)

Its official now. Commissioner decided that i have enough points to move up (factually i do!) to move up and play for #1 next week. One slight change is that i will be playing Paul as he beat Vishwas last week to remain at the top of ladder World Rankings. My challenge remains still tough as ever with the only change being that i happened to beat Paul in the past.

A few other items that i felt worth mentioning are that i will finish February at 7pm regardless of how i play the remaining sessions. If we consider the fact that last year and year before, i struggled to make 7pm cut ,to Now , a regular presence at 7pm is a big turn around.

The win against Luciano is also satisfying. Strategy wise i have the best possible plan to play him that is still within the limits of my game --attack the Backhand. In the past, i would jump into big lead with this strategy but somehow let it slip by. This time, i sustained the same urgency through out. I was also helped by the fact that Luciano chose to attack the net and helped me rip some passing shots.

I probably will play next week for one more shot at Paul and #1 -- too much of an oppurtunity to pass up.

I have started working on strengthening muscles. I am trying to build a platform for first couple of weeks before i start pushing myself very hard. I am hoping that if i can build a strong core that will go well with my current cardio stamina for a strong Spring-summer-fall Tennis season.
I have approximately 8 weeks left before we are in April --possible start of outdoor season. It isnt a lot of time but can be done if i execute correctly. I need to clear my head from getting bogged down with Tennis results for the rest of the season and look at the big picture as i decided i would early january.

I have also got commitments from some of the players in the ladder that they would play us (me/Jack) during the outdoor season. This variety and experience can go long way in improving the game.

Badminton season is in full swing as well. I am playing good in patches but no where near to the standards i used to play couple of years ago. Some of that has to do with my doubles partners and their desire to stick to game execution plans. However my level also dipped mainly because of not paying enough focus to results. May be during march and april, i will try to push more on Badmiton.

Monday Tennis 01-Feb-2010 -- For Arbitration

I didnt play on Jan 25. Originally i was planning to sub to save money but later on i was forced to do it because of terrible bout of cold. That past weekend was so bad that i couldnt as much watch tennis let alone play. After lots of antibiotics and traditional cold remedial measures, i started feeling better. All the while i tried to catch up on Australian Open. I was disappointed that Nadal and JustineHenin lost. I am glad Roger Federer won because every grandslam he wins now puts him that much further ahead of Pete Sampras. I think at this time, Federer has left behind every other great player and is in his own place as the closest one can get to Tennis Perfection.

Despite me not playing, Luck was on my side and a player substituting for me made a good showing and allowed me to keep my spot at the top of 7 pm. This definitely is luck because i wasnt expecting it. So the line up for this past monday (01 Feb 2010) has me against Luciano , Ding and Carl.

Heading to the courts, i wasnt feeling great , to put it mildly. I have no reasons other than that the i havent fully recovered from the cold. I did resume my Gym workout during the past week but wasnt pushing myself. In the past, i played anywhere from awesome to worst when i felt like this and i wasnt sure which mode will my game be when i am on the court.

After the warmup, i won the toss with Luciano and started serve. Two good first serves and 30-0--didnt have to play at all. Then things went offline a little bit but i ended up winning with a great first serve at Deuce. Luciano held his serve though i fought to Deuce. I broke Luciano later on to go up 3-1 and held on for a 5-2 score line. I felt cold and tired but i was happy with the score line for couple of reasons. First of all, i have hit a decent number of forehand winners --some of them cross court passing shots when Luciano tried to get close to the net. This is a good step towards my goal of rebuilding forehand though long way to go.

I won the toss with Ding and lost my serve right away. This is the first time i am playing Ding and he has excellent touch and very good shots overall. Even though i had three chances to break him, i couldnt and he was up 2-0. At this time, i thought i wouldnt even make the par of 11 games needed to stay at the top of 7 pm. Despite stuttering, i held my serve mostly due to Ding's unforced errors than my game plan and then broke him to make it 2-2. I have a better read of his game now and held my serve more comfortably and then broke him again for 4-2 lead. I however lost the last game meekly to end the match at 4-3. The highlights for me are a Nadal like around the net post forehand winner and some good defense.

Carl elected to serve and came out blazing and raced to 2-0 lead. His shots were falling and his game was on and that meant that there isnt much i could do other than weather the storm. I broke him back--thanks to a net chord and we are back on serve at 1-2. I still was able to crack a good inside in forehand winner against Carl , which is one of my highlights for the night.

We had to stop the match as we ran out of time. As it turns out Luciano and Ding couldnt finish either. With no empty courts to continue , we had to call it a night and leave the standings for our Tennis Commissioner to figure out.

When we stopped play, Here is what we have

Player ---NumberofgamesWon (RemainingGames to play)
Ding --------8 (2)
Luciano---- 10 (2)
Carl-------- 8 (4)
Satish-------10 (4)

I am not sure how our Commissioner would resolve this but i feel good about my chances of topping the group. Since i won against Luciano, if we only consider the 'games won' at the time of stoppage, i will still move up.

If we apply some kind of projections to the remaining games, the only scenario where i wouldnt move up is when i lose all my remaining games. In fact i have to lose atleast three of my remaining games for anyone else to move up.

Here is some more of that 'projection' stuff.

• Luciano moves up if he wins all his remaining games(2) AND Carl wins all his remaining games (4)
• Carl moves up if he wins all his remaining games (4) AND Luciano should lose atleast on eof his remaining games.
• Ding will not move up regardless of results of remaining games.
• I will move up if i win two games out of remaining (4).
• Myself and Luciano will not move down
• Ding is likely to move down unless Carl loses all of his remaining games (4)
• Carl will move down if he loses all his remaining games (4).
  

I feel good about trying to be little bit aggressive and getting some winners but long way to go. Despite coughing most of the night and feelin a little tired, i was moving pretty well and putting the ball in right places.

I am assuming that i would be moving up for another showdown with Vishwas, who beat Paul to remain at the top. I havent yet decided if i should play next week or stick to my alternate week schedule. Because it is another shot at #1, may be i should go and try.

What do you think?

Monday Tennis (18 Jan 2010) - So close yet So Far

I came short one more time in the contest for #1. I lost to Vishwas in a very close 0-6,6-2,10-12 contest. I had two match points to close the contest and become #1 but it wasnt to be.

However it is surprising that i even came this close. I was blitzed and bagelled in the first set. Except for the first game on my serve, i never even came close to a game point in first set. I wasnt warmed up enough and i didnt follow a good plan. I also lacked depth on my shots. Vishwas repeatedly attacked my backhand and i couldnt defend well.

After first set, i am in two minds. Do i just play and fold or do i want to fight. I lost quite a few matches against Vishwas and i thought i needed to show some fight. I also considered that this is probably my last match before i go into rebuilding mode and hence give a good shot at it. I have considerably warmed up and i made some adjustments to my court positions. I held my serve after a tensely fought deuce game and Vishwas held his. From this point on, i took over the set and broke him twice to make it 6-2.

One set a piece and off to a super tie breaker. Vishwas did offer to play a full set but it is already 0820 and i didnt want to play late as i wanted to catch some AUstralian open tennis action on TV. I kept pace with Vishwas until 7-7 though i had mini breaks in between. I was leading 9-8 and was recieving when he hit a great forehand shot to make it 9-9. I was leading again at 10-9 when i was serving. My first serve,i believed was in but was called out and we rallied on second serve before i took an ill advised net approach. After 10-10 , it was all Vishwas. He broke me on my next point and then held serve (my return hit the net) to win the evening.

Tough loss for me but i am not terribly disappointed. I didnt think i would win considering how poorly i played the first set. That i came back and made a match out of it is in itself a good thing. It would have been great to win once and be a #1 for a week. But my objective isnt to be a #1 for one week or two. It needs to be sustained. Just like how i am consistently playing the #2 spot, i need to do the same with #1. It is a fact that my game needs more weapons.

Best approach would be to work on those weapons and come back even stronger next season. For all practical purposes , there is less than 6-7 weeks of real season left before its time to be ready for outdoor season. Out of these, my budget will only last half of them.I have already put in significant time on Cardio and waiting for a break to start working the weights. Unlike last season, i want to be ready and be in shape for the next season.

I am planning to sub for next week and will only be in action the week after.

Top seeds withdraw-- (Eric and Jack pull out)

Eric and Jack pulled out of the ladder effective today. Inside sources report that unresolved sponsorship issues forced the topseeds pull out. This change is all set to alter the landscape of the monday night ladder for the rest of the season. Eric's been undisputed number #1 at the top of the ladder. Jack's pull out is expected as he made his plans clear to his fans last week when he indicated that next monday would be his official last match for winter season.

With me scheduled to pull out from last week of January, the ladder will look much different in february. There will be three open spots at the top of the ladder and more importantly the exit of two counter punchers (Jack and me) will make many players draw easy and the #1 spot is within reach for many other players as Vishwas remains the only consistent top seed. While it is tempting for me to stay longer in the ladder and become the #1, i want to look at the big picture. I dont want to be #1 in a weak ladder. The objective for me in joining the winter ladder is to improve my game and match up against the best. In this ladder, i matched up against everyone but Eric (and Vishwas). My next steps would be to improve my game , work on the weaker areas, re tool and come back for another shot at the players of that calibre. I believe

I still plan to sub alternate weeks. Unless there is a major development, My current plan is to play on Jan 18, Feb 1 and Feb 15. After Jan 18 session, I will be in rebuilding mode. I plan to rebuild my forehand and i want to use the remaining 3 or 4 sessions to test a few things out and have the plan ready for Outdoor season in April. I will also be working on my fitness --especially adding some muscle.

This developments also mean that Jack and me may not meet again the winter ladder. We are exploring the slight possibility of playing each other while sub'ing.

In Summary, Its been a great run for Jack. He struggled a bit during early phase of the ladder but picked up steam in December (he always does!) , quickly became a fixture at the top of the ladder, became #2 and came within a whisker of reclaiming his #1 ranking. There are several players in the ladder who would exchange their season for jack's in a heart beat. Though primarily a counter puncher, He is one of the few "All court" players in the ladder and is very comfortable at the net as well as baseline.

Hope to see him back soon.....

Monday Tennis results (11-Jan-2010) -- Classic

By titling 'Classic', i wasnt implying my performance. The title accurately describes Jack's performance playing for the #1 against Vishwas. In the end, he came up a bit short but he was tantalizingly close to reacquiring his #1 ranking--basically a tie breaker away. Jack lost to Vishwas in a champions tie Break after making it one set all. He won the first set 7-6, playing some outstanding tennis. Yes, i was playing my match on Court #2 while Jack's match was on Court #1 and i was able to watch some of the action very closely. Though there are some unexplainable ,passive shots by both players, for most part, they played top class tennis befitting players of #1 and #2 ranks. Jack outplayed Vishwas in many rallies, used his variety to throw Vishwas off balance forcing him to take low percentage shots. Vishwas eventually steadied the ship in second set and prevailed in the tie breaker. Jack played a classic match!.



My draw consisted of Carl, Paul and Roger R. A few weeks ago, i would have seen this as a slightly easier draw. However my game dipped in the last couple of weeks and my motivation is lacking. Apathy towards results set in and i was looking to see if i can jolt myself and get back to the fighting ways. My serve wasnt firing today either.



I broke Carl on his serve the very first game. I played an excellent reflex shot on Deuce to move up and then came up with another down the line one handed backhand touch shot on Deuce (on my serve) to go up 2-0. I broke Carl again to go up 3-0. Serving 1-5, Carl hit a great shot on Deuce point to make it 5-2 for me. I am glad i won this match 5-2 but it could easily be 2-5 if the deuce balls bounced the other way. My serve wasnt clicking , my forehand is consistent but nothing great. My backhand did a lot of heavy lifting. I also moved well. Historically against Carl, it was always my ability to get back balls into play that caused him trouble and it was true yesterday. I moved well and cut off his angles and returned them back.



I started with Paul even more tentatively , losing first two points for 0-30. I pulled back and won the game with some good consistent rallies. I broke Paul on his serve to go up 2-0 before he broke back to be on serve at 1-2. I broke him again and held mine. This pattern continued for rest of the match for a 6-1 score for me. Once i got up to 4 games, Paul , i believe got disappointed and appeared like he threw the last two games away(he definitely did threw away the last game). Paul's strategy , which he used successfully against many opponents, is to engage in rallies. He uses a back hand slice to draw opponents to the net and then he forces the action by a) going for a deep shot and attack the net b) another biting slice c) defensive rallying.

A year or two ago, Paul had one of the best slice serves. These days , his serve lacks that sting and mostly gets the point started. His slice has very good bite and can easily throw off an opponent. My game matches up well against defensive sets and i was able to stay in the rallies and occassionally earned some easy points with my serve.



Entering the last match, I had 11 games to Roger R's 9 games. Incidentally he had good matches against Carl and Paul to get to 9 games. Carl has 5 while Paul collected 3 games. This basically meant that either Roger or me would be the winner of this group. I need three games to become the winner as i have a two game lead over Roger (Winning three games makes my tally 14 while Roger would only have 13 even he wins the other 4 games). I started out by breaking Roger's serve and went 1-0 up. He broke me back to make it 1-1 and then we held our serves to make it 2-2. At this time, it was 0830 and the next group of players walked in. After some shuffling, our match was moved to court #1 where Jack and Vishwas were playing. We had to wait a bit for them to finish before we could start off. I knew i needed one more game and i can then call it a night while Roger assumed that we were even in games (ie he thought i had 9 games entering last match). After a brief warm up, we started off and i broke Roger to go up 3-2 and also secure the group win. I then held my serve and then basically experimented in the last game--which back fired. I won the match 4-3. Even in this match, my serve worked only in parts but it definitely worked when it mattered--serving at deuce. The key however was my movement and ability to put the ball back into play.



With 15 games, i will be moving up to challenge Vishwas for #1. This victory also ensured that i will finish January at 7 pm regardless of how i play. Another interesting stat for me is that this will be my fourth week as #2. Outside of this academic stuff, in reality, i believe that i am probably a top 3 or top 4 player right behind Eric and Vishwas. Considering that i struggled agains these two players and mostly won against every other player, the results do attest that.



Jack will still play at the top of 7pm and try to move up for another shot at #1. I wish i could beat Vishwas next week and Jack to win his group and we both play for #1. That would culminate a strong Winter tennis season for us. We both plan to start sub'ing from last week of january and very unlikely that we would contend at the top beyond January.

You can check out our scores (usually a week delayed) here.

http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=24230:6:2554599036473778::NO

Monday Tennis results (04-Jan-10) -- Disappointing

My first tennis session of the new year ended on a sour note. For the first time, i had a legitimate chance to become #1 as Eric pulled out this week and it was a match between me and Vishwas.

Simply put, i needed to win two sets against Vishwas and i am the #1. However my busy vacation week caught up to me. Too many movies, late nights and lack of sleep left me physically and mentally spent and Vishwas took over the #1 with 6-2,6-1 demolition. My serve was way off and my forehand and backhand were too weak.

It is disappointing but i guess i have to pick up the pieces and move on. Even if i were to be a #1 for a week, it wont change the fact that Eric is really the true #1. I wish i could have kept these games competitive.

Before this season, i am most comfortable with standard Tennis sets (ie win 6 games with difference of two and with AD). Now i have adopted to the Ladder format and i am struggling a bit with Tennis sets.

All said and done, it boils down to my serve. My backhand , which has improved since last season (due to the Two handed backhand switch) and my serve are really keeping me in contention. My forehand is consistent but not powerful. My fortunes fluctuated with my serve and when it is down, my results are down.

Regardless of results, i will have two more weeks at 7 pm and with One good performance, i can complete January at 7pm. I am fast running out of Budget dollars and will need to start subng pretty soon. I estimate that i have 4-6 sessions left and if i play continuously, i will run out of it by second week of february. one school of thought is to play alternate weeks thereby stretch into Mid March.

The Big news of the night is the arrival of new world #2 -- Jack. Yes, Jack topped the 7pm group and will be playing Vishwas for #1. Exactlty a year ago, Jack was ranked #1 and now he is one good week away from reclaiming his spot. Gentlemen, It is the change of Guard at EHRC. Jack is contemplating subng as well due to budgetary reasons and so he will do his best to stay at the very top as long as possible before he pulls out.

Here is the website to check the scores.


http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=24230:6:5159308771439474::NO

Happy New Year 2010

Happy New Year every body!!

Another year ends and a fresh year(and a decade) begins. As i look back on my tennis in 2009, it appears as a mixed bag.

I probably had the most inconsistent summer in 2009. I played very less, I lost more matches and for most part, my wins arent convincing. My work consumed a lot of my summer and that is a significant reason in my results. But another reason is that i lost my TopSpin forehand. Yes, most of my game is about forcing opponent to hit one extra shot, but i also used to hit a few winners here and there , based on the oppurtunities. This year, i rarely hit winners, if any. Even my serve was off most of the summer.I scraped through matches mostly on defense.

The only positive change is that i started playing more two handed backhands. I have gotten more and more comfortable with the Two handed backhand.

At the end of summer/mid fall, my weight ballooned up by almost 12 pounds and i didnt even like the look of myself. With Winter about to set in and the winter ladder about to begin, i needed some serious work. I realized that I cant really improve my game by much (not enough oppurtunities for practice) but i thought i will work on my fitness and i did. Fast forward to Jan 2010 and I am into my fourth month of my regular work outs. My weight returned to normal levels and ofcourse my cardio is very good.

The improved fitness and the Two handed backhand helped me get to my personal best showing in the ladder (at #2). Last year i never played for #1 and i only made a couple of appearences at the top of 7pm. This year, despite increased competition due to influx of new talent, i am a 7pm player so far (I played 0830 two weeks to clear the 0830 blocks and move up).My serve has returned for most part though it isnt as consistent. I still dont have my forehand but i guess i will have to live with it for this winter sessions.

All in all , i guess i improved as a player in 2009 especially with a Two handed backhand and some good results in the winter ladder.

I have been playing non-stop in this winter ladder and i am planning to take it easy towards late january and eventually drop out of ladder sometime in february. While a difficult decision, i have to do this as my tennis budget more or less runs out. Other reason is that i want to focus on muscle building (and ready for Spring-summer 2010) and i cant do this while playing the ladder in a competitive manner. As some of you know, My tennis performance dips for few weeks if i do muscle building. Lastly i want to use some of the monday evenings to play and train my daughter so that come summer, she can be ready to be coached.

Finally, my buddy Jack had a solid season. He had a strong outdoor season in 2009 and except for a slight early wobble in the winter ladder, he is back to where he belongs.

Time to get ready for New Year and New challenges.