Todays match was totally different than our last one. Yesterday we were in total synch, both of us playing great at the same time for the length of the match.
We played well together for the first set, winning it 6-2 and we rolled in the second set to a 5-2 lead. Up two service breaks it looked like a fast afternoon that wouldn’t take much out of our tiring bodies.
And then, on the verge of victory, we fell out of rhythm. First I missed a couple of routine volleys, then we had a mixup on a ball up the middle and we had dropped serve for the first time in the match.
They won their serve game as, from deuce, Charlie and I couldn’t win two points in a row. Playing the deuce side, he would win his return point and I would then miss. Or he would lose his return point and I would win mine.
They held serve.
Still up 6-2, 5-4 our confidence was dropping. Too many errors. Too many playing “not to lose” shots. My serve games had been routine so we should have been in good shape. Not the case. I hit a double fault to start the game. Then another moment of confusion on a ball up the middle. I lost my serve with another double fault. Long story. We lost a tiebreaker and were dead even in the match.
This is tennis. If you blink once a game is over. If you blink twice you can be in the locker room. And this can happen even more in doubles as the tendency is to blame your partner for their errors and your own errors are blamed on your partner because of being annoyed with your partner.
But Charlie and I have been here before. What helped us get it together was the forgiveness that we felt for each other’s mistakes. It is the game. We know that errors happen not because of lack of effort but because eah of us is unable to be perfect. So I forgave Charlie and he forgave me and we stayed connected. We kept talking to each other, supporting each other, keeping the team together.
No blaming. It is always a team effort.
This was the strength of our relationship.
I was a little deflated after the second set. Charlie took over by bringing his energy up. He led the way. Mine picked up as we broke serve to a 2-0 lead. We cruised through the final set 6-2.
Even when I played an out ball on our first match point, fogiveness. What a powerful team strategy.
We stuck together. We, as always, win and lose together. Today we won.
By the strength of our relationship even more than the strength of our games.
Finals on Friday.