Hobnobbing

"Titan I am going to the club tonight, why don't you join me for the round robin" those were Frank 'Slats' Slattery's words of welcome that greeted TT this morning when the phone rang. Titan and 'Slats' got off to an auspicious start as a doubles team offering up a quick bagel (6-0) to the overmatched Rich 'What am I doing here?' Condon and Kathy 'I am no Gussie' Moran. Reshuffling the teams for the second set TT failed to distinguish himself as he and 'I am not Gussie' fell behind love-four before sustaining the ignominy of a (3-6)defeat. But the (best?) worse was yet to come.'Slats' hooked up a doubles match against Mike 'I'll be playing you in singles anyway' Edwards and Amackassin's resident senior club pro Kevin 'Hustler' O'Rourke. Well TennisTitan and 'Slats' were schooled but good in the three sets that followed (2,2,3). TT/'Slats' battled best they could but were down love-four and love-three in sets 1 and 2 before getting on the board. (3-3 in games in the third was a pyrrhic victory.) 'Hustler' was dominant throughout the match enabling his partner to work on his net game and learn more of the strategy specific to a doubles game. 'Hustler' always was in position to cover mistakes and his speed and court anticipation regularly denied TT/'Slats' winners that otherwise would be theirs. As the chastened doubles pair headed for their post match libation, 'Slats' queried,"Titan, 5 sets, you think you got your $8 worth?" To wit TennisTitan replied, "For Christ sake Frankie, if I am going to get my ass kicked it's good to learn that the 'Hustler' was the number one Jasper during my time at Manhattan and was a national over 55 champion. Humbled but not humiliated. I love this game!"