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How
To React To the Unexpected
by Robert C. Murio, Competitive Sports
Counselor
I'm sure that there have been many times during your tennis career that
you've been surprised by certain things that happened during your matches.
Well, if you didn't take some time to analyze those situations, then you
missed a vital part of your competitive education. I know, you are saying,
"Well, I can't possibly be expected to account for every circumstance
that arises." I agree. However, some of these circumstances happen
over and over again, and an accomplished player must know how to react in
a positive manner. Many of the things that happen are not within
your control, but your attitude and reaction is crucial to your overall
success as a competitor. Not knowing how to react to an unexpected
circumstance during a tournament match could cost you the
match. In the following examples I will give a match scenario and
then diagnose the unexpected circumstance. Next I will discuss the players'
reaction and finally, the better more positive reaction.
Scenario #1: Your Opponent Gets Hot Early
You have an extremely important match against a player who you've had
several closes matches in the past. You are expecting another close match,
but within a matter of 10 minutes, you yourself down 4-0. Actually, you
are playing reasonably well, but your opponent is making every shot. In
your own words, "This guy is playing out of his mind!" You start
to press harder and are visibly upset. You lose the match 6-0, 6-2 and are
extremely disappointed.
The Unexpected Circumstance
The match was not close like past matches. Your opponent got "hot"
in the beginning and played better than ever before.
Your Reaction
You were visibly irritated by the circumstance. You started pressing and
your play deteriorated.
A More Positive Reaction
You should never visibly show your irritation to the opponent. On the contrary,
you should act as if the "hot" start is of no concern. Remember
tennis is a streaky game. Sometimes a player will get hot for a time,
but over an entire match a player will ultimately play to at his ability
level. However, because you pressed and lowered your caliber of
play, the opponent never had a chance to come back to earth. Even more damaging
was the emotional lift that your visible irritation gave the opponent.
Scenario #2: You Start off Playing Poorly
The initial scenario is identical to #1: an important match between you
and an opponent whom you've had several close matches in the past. But in
Scenario #2, your opponent is playing normally; it's you that starts but
off playing poorly. Your normal shots aren't working, but you keep on trying
in vain to make those shots. The result is a quick and devastating loss.
The Unexpected Circumstance
You never expected to start out so poorly. The shots that had always been
sure things just weren't working.
Your Reaction
You decided to keep on trying the shots that had always worked.
A More Positive Reaction
There are times when the timing and "feel" are just not there.
They will return, but in the meantime a player must alter his/her game plan
until it does. You should have immediately reduced the speed and difficulty
of your shot selection until the "feel" returned.
Scenario #3: You Start off Hot
You are expecting a close match, but much to your surprise, your caliber
of play is extremely high. You jump off to a 5-0 lead in the first
set, but you are worried that your level of play cannot possibly remain
at this high level. Sure enough the caliber of your play drops off
and now the lead is only 5-4.
Your Reaction
The worry over the unexpected high caliber of the play created a circumstance
which spelled certain doom.
A More Positive Reaction
You must realize that there will come a time when you will actually play
to the caliber that you have always aspired. When it actually happens
you must recognize it and then play the match as if the match were even.
In other words, you must play as if the match score were tied. An experienced
tournament player will play one point at a time, thereby having less chance
of a let down.
Scenario #4: Your Opponent Makes Bad Calls
You are involved in an important match against an opponent you've never
faced before. You are calling their own lines and it appears as if the opponent
is missing a number of calls early in the match. You become incensed over
the calls and proceed to confront the opponent. You call your opponent a
"cheater" and threaten to call the director. A shouting match
ensues and before the dust settles, the match is stopped until the tournament
director is able to settle the players down. You ultimately lose the
match because you couldn't forget the bad calls.
Your Reaction
Obviously, you let the calls irritate you. You assumed that your opponent
was intentionally cheating. The commotion disturbed you to such an extent
that you could never play well afterwards.
A More Positive Reaction
A positive way to react to an opponent giving bad calls is to confront
the opponent directly and calmly. Let the opponent know that you
feel that he/she has missed some calls and request that he/she be more careful
before calling the lines. I have found that the opponent will think twice
on the next close call and an argument can be avoided, not to mention the
energy wasted on becoming angry.
Conclusion
There are many more circumstances that occur during match play that are
unexpected. An experienced and successful player will remember each scenario
and learn from it. The less the number of occurrences that catch a
player off guard during a tournament match the better chance the player
has for a successful outcome.
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