Tennis matches have resumed in Oxford under the USTA safe play guidelines. I’ve got 2 UTR matches today, at 9:30 and 5pm. Nets are down on every other court around town. No mingling, no hanging around, no touching. Use 2 cans and common sense. I’m excited to play & see friends.

Last singles match was March 18th, 52 days ago. I’m 15-0 in singles, still clinging to lol goal of not losing this year. I’m about to enter 45 day cycle of farewell matches vs all the players I’ve practiced and played & been teammates with over the last 6 years (moving in July).

6-0, 6-0 win. I felt really good and didn’t miss a beat. I’ve been using various wall structures for hitting over the last month, plus my cross-training. Went it to the match with @alanh42’s Boneyard recruiting mantra “win every point”.

(Following USTA safety guidelines but still got heckled by a passerby who asked if we were tempting fate)

6-3, 6-4 win vs another opponent. He’s more of a net player and completely different than first match. I went down 0-3 to start, but found my groove and wasn’t any threat. Won 10 straight games before he got back on the board. No double faults in two matches.

6-4, 6-1 win over third different opponent in the slow crawl back. Visual acuity with line calls, service lines, and reading the serve and placement during returning has been the main drag. Otherwise, everything else is strong. All the wall games and tennis exercises have worked.

6-0, 6-2 win on Wednesday vs the parent/coach of a youth player I have played. He aced me once, but wasn’t up to speed just yet. He’s going to start playing more singles. Two more matches this weekend if weather works out: one tonight at 4:30, another at 7:30 tmrw morning.

Walking to match. This will be 5th match since restrictions lifted, but first at main site (every other court closed all over town, so half capacity, but this is biggest site 20 courts total). First repeat opponent in pandemic era; let’s see how he responds from getting blanked.

19-0 on year. Currently training for a tourney in Tupelo that is still scheduled for mid-June. I haven’t gotten near my opponents and things seem reasonable for singles, though a tourney for would require some particulars in addition to safe play guidelines. All to be determined.

6-1 first set; multiple rain delays & warming up, re-warming up have finally cancelled the match. Better hitting from opponent, but second set would’ve been same result. Muggy, but happy with the sweat and the work we got in. Unfortunately, seems to be raining over court only.

Morning match cancelled because of the rainfall. Going hiking to Tishomingo State Park instead.

I was able to hike all morning and get a match in. 6-4, 6-2 over another opponent, my main rival over the years. Good to be back hitting with him.

6-2, 6-3 win over a guy who travels here from Kentucky for his work occasionally. He’s a really good server, but can’t deal with me getting everything in. Beautiful night for tennis.

Flat loss 3-6, 4-6 playing not to lose & keeping ball in play. Good lessons learned; takes burden of being “undefeated” off future. This was rematch vs main town rival who I beat Sunday; hadn’t beaten me this year. No more post quar practice matches tho. We will play UTR now on.

Rematch in an hour, and official UTR match. No excuses. I’m rested and ready and need to put away the ball and quit waiting for my opponent to make a mistake. Get to the net more and vary my service. Set your course and it is yours. Visualizing straight set win.

1-6, 6-1, 8-10. Felt really good in first set and then assumed victory. Fell behind big in tie break, only to tie it at 8s and mess it up. As jessie reminds me, rivals wouldn’t be rivals if you didn’t lose to em. Am I in funk? Not really. First electric feeling of the season tho.

Ok back at it. I set up three matches over the next 24 hours vs my three top opponents. I’m in New Albany playing the “quarterfinal” vs the player I faced in the final of my first USTA tournament around 4 years ago this weekend. That match got me hooked. This is a UTR tourney.

7-6 (7-5), 6-2 win in quarters. Defended three set points to mount a comeback and force the tiebreak after being down 5-3. Hottest court of the year helped me out. Semis vs my in town rival tmrw morning. Gonna be tough match.

So much salt sweat on my current hat of choice. Semis vs rival who has won last two matches. We are 2-2 on year, but I’m now 1-2 with the losing streak, though he hasn’t beaten me on the nicer courts, where we are playing, so I’ve got that and a warm, full sun going for today.

7-6 (7-1), 6-0 win in 95 degree court temperature. He went up 5-1 and then I went up 6-5 and he must’ve hit a wall as I tend to get stronger in heat and sweat. I could stand to win on technique from the get go. Still figuring out my new racket. Hitting a lot of balls strong long.

6-4, 6-4 win. Memorial Day champ. Three matches and three wins in 27 hours vs my main local and regional rivals/hitting partners.