It’s a popular cliché for a reason, it’s true. Whether you believe in a higher power, karma or connectedness (or none of these), I’ve come to believe that there’s something to it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve experienced “what goes around comes around” or comeuppance in tennis.
Have you ever played a match against an opponent who calls a close “in” ball “out” at a crucial point in a match only to have something almost serendipitously go against them a short time later? Or have you felt guilty about a call you made that could have gone either way that later came back to bite you? On the other hand, have you given your opponent the benefit of the doubt on a call and noticed that you got the same in return later in the match on an important point? I have experienced these types of occurrences over and over again on the court.
Just yesterday my partner and I witnessed both in our mixed doubles match. We had a marathon 3-set, 3-hour battle against an equally matched (if not superior) opponent. Don’t get me wrong, it was a very friendly and well played match throughout, but there were a couple occasions where “they” or “we” may have made the wrong call. In both cases, the “mistakes” were “magically” corrected right away, either by a let cord or the “offender” missing an easy sitter right after their erroneous call. A couple of other times, one of “us” played a ball that could have been called “out” only to receive the same graciousness in kind. I’ve seen this happen again and again in my 10+ years of playing ALTA. It’s as if there’s a divine plan for balance in the world, even in the most insignificant venues of life.
So, the next time you find yourself in an intense situation, on the court or off, when you’re tempted to take advantage of another or thinking that no one is watching or will know, do the right thing, even if it’s just for your own peace of mind. Trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll feel better about yourself and, regardless of the outcome on the court (or of the situation), you’ll be the winner.
Had an unfortunate incident last night, been a while since I've felt cheated. A team that had bageled my partner and I in the first set was struggling mightily to hold on and close out the second set against us. My partner hit a return of serve winner down the line that our opponent - the server - called out before it hit the ground. Despite our astonishment, neither he nor his partner changed the call once the ball bounced clearly in (perhaps even inside the line). Somewhat dismayed, I couldn't return his next serve in the court, game set and match. I hope he slept well last night;-)
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