Your TennisTitan closed out the year with some fun sets over at Kinsley this morning. TT and 8 other stalwarts benefited from the crisp, dry, windless conditions that saw temperatures hovering about 40 in grey wintry skies. A perfect day for outdoor tennis in the northeast! TT paired with George "Chemist" Hauss on court two against 'Big Al' Diodati and Frank 'Slats' Slattery. Titan/'Chemist' rallied from a 1-3 deficit to take the tightly contested set (7-5) and earn the right to meet Carl 'Spindly Legs' Gessman and My Liege, 'King' Gene Slattery. 'King' had stepped in for 'Happy Jack' Carey so that he could have his way with TT as was the case on Wednesday at the YTC. 'SL'/'HJ' had eked out a (6-4) triumph over the venerable (but departing) Sab 'Koide Kid' and Amackassin's finest, Rich 'RC Cola' Condon. As 'Big Al'/'Slats' dropped another heart(and tie) breaker (6-7 [5] to 'RC Cola'/'HJ' your Titan did not let down his most enthusiastic fan, O'Reilly, the Bischon Friese who somehow makes more noise than his 'masidon master.' With the barking reaching a near crescendo Spindly Legs served to get to the tie breaker. TT/'Chem' had withstood the late charge of 'SL'/'King' coming back from three-love deficit to level it at 4. Then "O" dog came through big for the 'bloated behemoth' inducing 'SL' to pull a calf muscle, double fault twice, and possibly lose track of the score in the final game (7-5). An embittered 'King' threatened "to bring my own dog" next week and to have his wife come to keep score! Titan's crisp winning volley- "King, you'd be better served if you'd bring a son to help you out!"
Your TennisTitan punctuated the week between Christmas and New Years with some excellent tennis at the Y.T.C. Titan paired with erstwhile partner Frank 'Slats' Slattery for 3 scintillating sets against Amackassin tournament partners Rich 'RC Cola' Condon and My Liege, Gene 'King' Slattery. Each of the three sets exceded the prior set in level of play and in drama of its outcome. TT/'Slats' wilted in set one. After rebounding from a 1-3 deficit to square it at three, the boys dropped two multi-deuce games before bowing out at (3-6). Set two was a roller coaster from start to finish. TT/'Slats' ran off the opening four games only to see 'King'/'Cola' level it at four games a piece. Titan came up with the goods in the ninth game to stave off the hemmorage and retake the lead, 5-4. Back and forth it went. TT/'Slats' hung tough and eked out a (9-7) victory. TT had a nice mix of booming serves amid a bevy of spinning floaters to keep 'Cola'/'King' off balance. 'Slats' was like dog shit in New York City, i.e. "all over the court" defending like crazy and coming up with some great digs. Your Titan showed occasional prowess at net with his volleys but continues to blow easy overheads. Set three was a donnybrook, with all four players dragging somewhat from their earlier efforts but all showing incredible heart. Neither side had margin for error or the ability to open up a two game lead. The set went to an exciting tie breaker with 'King' securing the rubber (6-7 [5]). As 'RC Cola' came to net he saw his partner smile broadly as 'King' aced TT with, "Titan, you played much better today, but at Amackassin you'd still be classified as a "C+ group" player."
"Titan, with that belly of yours, you really do look like Santa Claus, especially with that red shirt you wear... but, oh, those wonderful gifts you give on the court!" So were the sage words of Lou 'Golden Hands' Avitabile this morning at the YTC. 'GH' and the 'Caballero' had just won the rubber of a three set match (2-6, 6-4, 1-6) against the TennisTitan and Mario 'Zippy' Zino. This was TT's first appearance on the indoor courts in a month and it was far from memorable. Titan showed some signs of coming out of his prolonged slump by serving effectively, if without pop, during the match. The 'bombastic blowhard' held his own against the superior fire power of Hanibal 'the Caballero' and the guile of the experienced 'Golden Hands.' Titan takes no comfort in his mirroring the mobility of 'GH' who is 20+ years his senior. Indeed, the match was as close as it was because 'Caballero' had no giddy-up on his serve and 'Zippy' had a strong first set before the errors crept in. As the foursome retired to the dressing room, 'Golden Hands' espoused the wisdom of his many years on the courts, "Titan, you're lucky you met me when I am in my 80's; otherwise you'd have to pay me to get a game!"
"Titan, even a 'King' can't help you with your game." Such were the words of Gene 'King' Slattery at net at the conclusion of this morning's play at Kinsley. TennisTitan and My Liege had just dropped a truncated set (5-6 (4)) with the 11th game serving as a tie breaker to George 'Chemist' Hauss and Frank 'Slats' Slattery who completed a two set sweep (2-6). Titan offered the 'King' little help in a match that featured many wind blown balls that exposed TT's limited mobility with increasing regularity. 'King' had to cover too much court and was ineffective with his volleys and overheads. 'Chemist'/'Slats' burned 'King Gene' frequently by passing him on the backhand down the doubles alley. Titan had no pop on the ball and could not effectively lob due to the swirling wind conditions. A recipe for disaster for sure. 'Slats' opined as he left the court smiling broadly, "Titan, this was worth the scolding Patsy is going to give me for being an hour late, even if I have to scrub the toilets a second time time week."
"Titan, wasn't that Spiro Agnew's plea in court that caused him to resign the Vice Presidency. Isn't he dead, like your tennis game." Those were the stinging words of Jim 'CC Flash' Stephens at net after he completed the rout of TennisTitan (2 and 1) in their first match on Titan's abbreviated Southern Senior Tour. 'Flash' took no hostages as he mauled the 'bloated behemoth' in both sets, barely breaking a sweat. Titan had come out firing and played a strong first set (for him these days) that was epitomized by the play in the first game. TT had 'big-time pop' on his serve but was stunned by two reflex returns on serves that seemingly had gone by 'CC' which he somehow got half a racquet on and with no backhand back swing hit winners just over the net and out of the reach of the 'immobile manequin.' Indeed several times in the first set Titan watched incredulously as 'Flash' returned balls that were unreturnable. Titan must struggle to combat not only Flash's quickness on court but his ever increasing consistency with his serve. For crying out loud (which Titan habitually does do) Flash did not drop a point on his own serve until the the fourth game of the second set. Should Titan take some solace from the fact that was the only game TT managed to win in the second set. I think not. TennisTitan will make another attempt to put a chink in 'Flash's superior game later this week before retreating to the somewhat more comfortable court conditions of doubles in New York. Hell, who cares if it's going to be forty degrees at Kinsley, maybe TennisTitan can get hot there!
Your Titan is making a quick trip to Florida. TT has been Santa Claus on the court in recent weeks, might as well give "some gifts" to' CC Flash' and 'Big Daddy' Jeff and enjoy my grandchildren and do some fishing. Titan will be back on the Kinsley courts on Sat. 12/16 weather permitting.
"Titan, if you were a horse we'd have to shoot you." Those were the caustic words of 'Happy Jack' Carey who along with Carl 'Spindly Legs' Gessman and George 'Chemist' Hauss outplayed TT this morning in every facet of the game. Your Titan was consistently five steps too slow in getting to the ball (when he made an effort to move toward it at all) and played as poorly as he is capable of. Titan had no legs. The cold autumn wind played havoc with any ball hit more than three feet above the net. The conditions brutally effected the 'bombastic blowhard's' arthritic knees. TennisTitan could not elevate off his heels, no less launch into the ball, on his serve. Titan and 'Happy Jack' fell (1-6) before the Germanic duo. Even the vaunted 'Spindly Legs' could not compensate for the 'bloated behemoth's lethargy (3-6) in the second set. 'HJ' whizzed serves past TT and dinked Titan at net with greater consistency than a Dunkin' Donuts cappucino as the helpless Gessman looked on in disgust. 'Chemist' took perverse delight in twisting his spinners at the 'Master of Immobility' but took on the hero's role in set three. 'HJ's game returned to its normal level, 'SL' could not out-rally the 'Chemist,' and Titan studiously avoided any ball not hit right to him - the result, a face-saving (6-1) victory! Titan and Spindly Legs led the fourth set (3-2) when play was halted. As the foursome met at net to say aufvidersehn, 'Chemist' opined, "Titan I guess I was the big winner today" to wit 'Happy Jack' retorted, "I wasn't the big loser either, isn't that right TennisTitan!?!" "How right you are" wimped the 'beaten bloviator.'
