It took me a little while to talk about the last match I played.
Not because it hurt.
Not because I was disappointed.
But because I needed to understand.
Two hours of tennis.
A decisive tie break.
3-3, even on the scoreboard.
Then, blink.
Two unforced errors, two forced ones… and the match evaporated in less than two minutes.
The Scoreboard Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: it wasn’t a clean performance.
I racked up a generous number of unforced errors.
And yes, brace yourselves, I managed to serve four double faults in the same game. That’s a personal record, and not the good kind.
But here’s the thing: I wasn’t the one running after the ball the whole time.
I put pressure on him.
I responded well.
I disrupted his pace.
My open-stance backhand? It held up. It still needs polishing, but it worked.
At one point, the kid (18 years old, Cat. 3.2) switched to serve-and-volley, just to shorten the rallies. That’s a good sign. It means he wasn’t comfortable playing his game.
The heavy topspin balls still give me trouble, but I’m learning to deal with them by stepping in, taking the ball early. That’s something.
So technically, yes, there was a lot to fix.
But also a lot to build on.
The Real Match was inside my head
Here’s where it gets deeper.
You can feel it when these young players have more resources, more firepower, more miles in their legs. You feel… vulnerable.
But, I didn’t just push the ball to the other side and hope for a mistake. I tried to control the game. And that, honestly, felt great.
Still, I need to manage the speed better. It’s like driving a car: at 50 km/h, you see everything, make smooth decisions. At 150 km/h, you start missing signs, curves become tricky, and instincts get fuzzy.
I never quite entered that peaceful zone I sometimes reach against lower-ranked players that Nirvana state of presence, where shots flow and decisions feel effortless. Instead, I was guessing, hoping, pushing.
Courage replaced clarity.
What This Match Taught Me
If I had to summarize the takeaway:
-
I’m there.
That level is no longer out of reach. It’s within touching distance. -
That must become my home.
I need to feel comfortable at that speed, in that discomfort, with that level of pressure. -
Putting pressure beats playing safe.
It might cost a few points today, but it buys control tomorrow. -
Sabotage is always an option.
Not dirty tricks, but reading the opponent, poking holes in their armor, showing up with mental clarity and tactical sharpness.
I’m still too inward-focused in these matches.
I need to look outward and play chess, not just swing the racket.
The Run to the Next Step Is On
I’m not licking wounds. I’m studying the terrain.
This wasn’t a loss. It was recon. I’ve scouted the territory of 3.2.
And you know what?
It doesn’t feel impossible, it feels like the next thing I’m ready to earn.
Let’s go.
See you on the next court,
—Il Tennista
