TennisOne Lessons

How To React To the Unexpected


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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.