Game 67: 30th June

6-4

7-6 (10-8)

Rating: Absolute Padel 

Venue: Top Padel, Tenerife


First Playtomic match abroad, paired up with 3 random people and it was absolutely epic.

90 minute match and the first 2 sets took 70 mins.

The opposition were dissapointed in losing and it was hella hot that they didn't want to play out the start of a 3rd set. Maybe that's the ettiquete over there but, for once, I didn't mind as I was absolutely dead on my feet.

I matched up with an English guy called Fraser, tall, plays on the left, good smash, absolute perfect foil for me. 

We were playing against a lawer from Madrid and another older but higher rated Spanish guy.

Playtomic was a desert in Tenerife which was a real surprise so I was happy that I'd grabbed the bull by the horns, set up a game and got people interested.

Match Report:

Well first. It was Hot. 

28c with no wind. 

Outdoor court.

2 pasty Brits, Fraser had been here 3 days.

2 Spaniards one B and R. R was an older guy but wiry, looked like he was active all day every day.

B, younger, taller.


First game I served to love, my serve started strong and they were unused to it.

Unfortunately in the next game R did similar so two easy holds. If it's one thing I hate it's people serving to the middle constantly thinking I am too fat to get there. It worked once and then he served to the middle to me 70% of the time. I read it and had it covered apart from a few too ambitious lobs. The guy served fast and with slice.

We traded breaks till 4-4 and there was one epic game on my serve where Deuce went on for at least 8 times. We managed to win that to go 5-4 and broke them for 6-4.

At 4-4, I saw that R was too close to the net a lot and B wasn't that confident on lobs so passed that onto Fraser and it was a welcome respite.

It felt a very very close first set.

I had to change my grip at the set break as it was like holding a wet fish. Racquet was twisting on serve returns.


Second set, we raced into a lead after dropping the first game. Think it was 4-2 then 5-3. B had made a lot of unforced errors and his partner was starting to comment a little.

Me to serve out and it just didn't happen. Wasn't a bottle job this time, they just played well. B had started to get the measure of my serve and was able to place backhand returns parallel that I was struggling to cover as we were playing Australian.

Then it was 5-4. Then 6-5. Then 6-6. They were 40:30 up and Fraser hit a passing shot parallel that they claimed was out. I genuinely didn't see it. No noise, no change in direction or speed. But that was game and into a tiebreak.


Me: "That was never the fence mate, never. That's fucking fuel that is. Fucking fuel."

I serve in the tiebreak first and put the point away. 1-0. They then take theirs 1-2.

We get it to 3-2. Then 4-2, 5-3, then 6-4.

We muck up the match point

We muck up the next one. 6-6

We go 7-6 up.

Muck it up.

They go to 7-8, their set point and me to serve. I faulted on the first serve.

Second serve and I am absolutely SHITTING myself that I will double fault on a set point.

Serving from Left I get a slow one over to the glass and B tried to place it parallel. I'm ahead of him though as I am already there. I block it back to him.

He tries to pass me.

I block it back to R on their right.

He tries a setup volley to me.

I backhand volley back to him.

He tries a dipping volley and the momentum takes him forwards.

I then place it backhand behind him diagonally as B is at the back so a huge open door was there. I placed it like I was carrying a baby. No punch volley, just accuracy. 8-8 we stave off the set point.

My serve on 8-8. I place it nicely and slowly next to the glass. R pops it up and Fraser buries it.

9-8 another match point.

They serve, I return to R. He tries a ferocious groundstroke to Fraser. Fraser is well placed and hits it cross to B. B goes for the middle but overcooks it and hits the glass.


FIN


Absolute Padel.

Vamos

Oh and I blocked a ferocious passing shot from B on pure instinct as it bounced next to my shoe. It took all the power out of it and popped over the net as an exquisite drop shot. I heard a "puta madre" from B at that one.




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