Lesson learned..

Sometimes the most important lessons we learn in life are the ones we learn unintentionally. I think I learnt not just one but THREE important lessons yesterday.

Lesson #1 and 2 : Impatience and Hasty judgements

I had been looking forward to playing my tennis rival all week. Yesterday was finally the day. We had already been there an hour earlier for our lesson which was supposed to be 2 hours since the coach is leaving soon. Anywayz, knowing that she was coming I could hardly wait though after running around a bit on the court I foresaw my coming loss to her. Guess one could say the ground just reeked of the impending outcome. No matter that's not something that could put me off that easily. So my rival finally arrives and coach takes a seat. Tells me and BW to warm her up by hitting different shots back and forth. Ok warm up is necessary. I wouldn't want to win with her playing with a handicap.

While we were in the middle of her warm up (which in my opinion the coach should have done) another lady walks on to the court. First glance the lady just looked like a friend of the coach's. She had a racket in hand so I suspected she was going to have a lesson soon.

Coach then introduces her and says that she was one of the number one players on the team (not sure if she meant the club's team or another team). I had to hide a smile that threatened to become and audible snicker.. I thought for sure the coach was playing us, seriously! The lady looked like she could be a grandmother of at least 3! Next thing I knew, the lady had shed her abaya and coach happily kicked her onto the court to be warmed up by us. Great! Now we had to warm up granny before we could play.

We hit a couple of shots back and forth for a while. Granny didn't seem like she was really into it. Further pissed me off. Finally after what seemed like forever the coach sends me and guess who.....Granny...actually maybe I should stop calling her that, she does have a name. I'll call her Em. Anywayz that was the last straw. I couldn't believe coach was sending me over to waste valuable chakra on Em when I had been saving it for the past hour and some to play my rival.

::Severe Black Storm cloud hovered over head:: I trudged onto the next court deciding I wasn't giving any handicaps to Em. Granny or not.

We tossed. She won. She chose to receive (as opposed to serving first). She was the first to score. Love - 15 (love being a tennis term meaning "zero"). A raised eyebrow from my side. Em got lucky. Next serve. sheemota, fault. Second serve. double sheemot, another fault. Score: Love- 30. Change side. Serving from the right side. Ball toss, racket connected, ball cleanly over the net. Em had trouble at first but sent it back. I returned it to her with speed (the only thing I do know how to do to a ball). Em was all the way on the other side after returning my speed ball. One side of court wide open. Aim for that corner, aim for the corner. DAMMIT! instead of going to the corner the ball went straight down the middle where Em picked it up with ease. She then sent it back with interest the ball literally disappeared for a moment (seriously no joke! and no I haven't been watching to much Prince of Tennis) next thing I knew the ball bounced under my elbow - too late to save that point. Love- 40.

"I so don't believe this! I am getting KK-ed (keister kicked) by this lady. Forget my rival! This lady is going to clean the court with me if I don't do something."

End score of game 1: 15-40 (the server, which was me gets their points announced first so that sorry 15 is my claim... pitiful yeah?)

I usually am better at receiving serve then I am in my service games so I was hopeful of picking up my face from the court now that it was Em's serve.

One serve (and I kid u guys not..) was a twist serve. I missed it of course. A couple I put directly into the net. And some looked like they wanted to be called out as a home run or something cuz they were like waaaaaaaay out of the court lines.

Out come of game 2: it was either tied with her winning the tie breaker or 30-40. I don't recall that to clearly. I was busy trying to keep my jaw from dropping on to the court.

Beaten by a senior - ouch!

Important lessons learned: Patience and never *ever* under-estimate the power of the old folk.

After playing and losing to Em, my rival was finally sent over. Still trying to figure out what went wrong during my game with Em I lost to my rival. Not to badly though. After a decent fight and at least a couple of hundred dueces I finally lost.

Lesson # 3: Cockiness

This one was taught to me by none other than my favorite groupmate.

Whenever we play (even during lessons with the coach) there's always inevitably freak balls flying around just narrowly missing my groupmates and sometimes (or actually lots of times lol) even the coach.

Occasionally a ball comes my way and I am told to look out. I usually turn around to find the ball wide and most times I'm not in danger of getting hit. My mates are just over-cautious I decided.

I played MFG after Em and my rival. I was still very much disturbed by Em. It was during the duece of the first game (I was serving) to MFG that I ran out of balls and she had to send some over. I was in the middle of the court after picking up a ball at the net and was on my way back to the base line when I heard her give me the heads up for an incoming ball. "My mates are crazy. No need to move, balls NEVER hit m....." BAM! Ball hit me right in the middle of my back. Thing must have been doing about 100 mph/kph. I was shocked, but at the same time knew I got what was coming for that cocky attitude. "Since when did she hit balls that hard anywayz?!"

She beat me 2 games - 1. (that of course being after I announced that I wasn't showing her any mercy at the beginning of the game. Dang I think I was a bit overboard yesterday...)

Lesson learnt though! From now on I'll take incoming balls more seriously ;P