I've witnessed some amazing victories over the years. Photo finishes. Last second Hail Mary passes to the end zone in overtime. Yesterday's epic win on the indoor tennis courts ranks at the top of my list. Four out of five league matches were decided in super tie breakers. I came up short in my doubles match after losing the first set in a tiebreaker by two points. We fought off four match points to tie the second set at 6-6. The second tiebreaker was decided by two points when the ball bounced our way. Our opponents made a couple of Hail Mary plays of their own in the 10 point super tiebreaker to claim victory. Our teams were tied 2-2 when our team captain and his partner faced off against their strongest players in the lag match. 2 and 1/2 hours later we held our breaths watching the last super tie breaker of the day. Our side had everything to lose since we were defeated 3-2 by the same team earlier in the season. A loss meant we were out of the race to determine a state champion. Our opponents took an early 8-4 lead in the super tie breaker and were only two points shy of sealing their first place standing when our teammates dug in for the comeback. Our guys won four points in a row to even the score. My teammates seemed unfazed when their opponents reached match point at 9-8. My teammates fought back to win the next three points in a row and claim victory in overtime. Final team score: 3-2. What a win. We get to do this one more time in January when we see these players again in the final match of the regular season.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my life with you on this blog. I don't write much about my tennis experiences because I don't want to bore those of you who don't follow the sport. If Charles Dickens were to pen a story about my tennis life, I have a feeling he would break the chapters into three parts – Christmas past, present and future. In my past, I see my dad on the sidelines waiting for my high school match to end so he can show off his left-handed backhand slice on our concrete tennis courts with steel nets. I see my cousin on the other side of the net hitting white tennis balls with surgical precision while our aunt Helen is cheering wildly. Christmas present is summarized in the first paragraph above. And Christmas future...let's just say Christmas future is in God's hands. God willing, I'm hoping my body is strong enough to play in the Mens 90 national championships with another Mulligan. Even though he may be two months and five days younger than me, we will both be age eligible for this division on January 1, 2050. Enjoy your Christmas season and remember it's a present made possible by our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have a great day.
No comments:
Post a Comment