Women's Singles 4.0 is usually an event that struggles for participants, and the Voyager Holiday Skill Level Pickleball Tournament was no exception. Originally, six women had signed up, but by the time we actually played, we were down to three participants due to weather and other schedule conflicts.
Singles isn't my game; I much prefer Doubles. I get a rhythm in Doubles. I thrive on the fast-paced action, the soft net play, and the coveted overhead smash when your opponents make the mistake of hitting too high. If you make a mistake, your partner picks you up in the next rally. Singles is a completely different strategy. You don’t rush the line, you work your way up to the net with angled shots. It’s all on you.
Women's Singles had been rained out on Friday, so we were pushed to Sunday morning. We were to report to the courts at 8am, and I had a flight to catch home at 3:15pm. I was already familiar with my opponents, Terry and Rhoda, as I had met them Thursday afternoon in the Women's Doubles bronze medal match.
First, I played Terry. We met on the cold 36 degree court that was blanketed with monochrome fog. I hadn’t planned on playing Pickleball in gloves in the southern part of Arizona. Terry was a little late showing up to the courts as she was in the middle of making breakfast when she recalled our rain date. Perhaps my breakfast helped me push past her. I won the match 11-8, 11-3.
The sun started to peak through the fog, and Rhoda and I were given the option of changing to a different court. We looked it over, decided the asphalt was too damp, and went back to the original court where the baseline was dry. We talked during warm up, and Rhoda said that she also played Tennis. You could tell from her strokes that Singles was her game. Rhoda had well-placed angles, even in warm up; I knew this would be tough. We had our referee briefing at the net, and Rhoda said, “Be safe”. Perhaps I was a little too safe. I played baseline defense and never approached the net. Rhoda won the match 11-4, 11-1.
Next, I was to play Terry again. Terry had the fortune of resting on the sidelines and studying my match against Rhoda. We were to play best two out of three games to eleven points. Line judges were in place as this was a bronze medal match. Terry approached with better shot selection and more strategy. She consistently hit to my backhand in the far corner and played strong offense. I squeaked out the first game 12-10.
In the second game, Terry served first, and she raced up to a 6-0 lead. I just couldn't manage to get the serve from her. Timeout. A small crowd started to gather around our court. Terry's cheering section was quite large as these were her home courts. Applause erupted with each of Terry's winning shots. There were cheers of Terry's name. My cheering section consisted of two people - Mama Freed and Caryn, my partner from Women's Doubles. Talk about being the underdog, but this dog wasn't going down without a fight. I fought, but the final score was in Terry's favor 12-10.
Onto the third game, and we were pretty evenly matched. Someone from the crowd said that they were really getting their money’s worth from the entertainment of our match. More people started to gather. I was up 8-5. Then, Terry took the reigns and raced past me with a 9-8 lead. I took a timeout to stop her momentum. With her next serve, I moved her around the court and obtained side out. With serve in hand, I talked myself through it mentally. Patience. Move my feet. Deep breath. I won the next two points and was up 10-9.
You could see the frustration in Terry, but I didn't let that into my head. The momentum wasn't mine, and I just needed to play
my game. Side out. Terry's serve. She approached the net and took the next point. Tied. 10-10. This was a nail biter if there ever was one. The crowd now cheered equally for us. Side out. My serve.
Breathe. Point. The referee announced, "Potential game and match point, 11-10". I served, and Terry ran cross court for my return. She returned to my forehand, and I placed the shot in the opposite corner. Point, game, match! A fight to the end, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10.
No rest for the weary. I was about to play my fourth match in a row with little breaks in between. Next up was the gold medal match against Rhoda. I wasn’t looking forward to this as she had previously beaten me so solidly. The next match is a bit of a blur. I tried to calm myself with each serve. Believe. Breathe. I either played well from not having any breaks, or Rhoda had too long of a break. I beat her 11-7, 11-9.
Now Rhoda and I were tied at one loss a piece, and we needed to play a tie-breaker. One game to 15 points, switch sides at 8 points. We were waiting for our match to be called, and they scheduled another match for the court on which we stood. We explained to the referee that I needed to leave, and he ran to the scorer’s table to have the schedule modified.
Rhoda won the toss and chose serve. I settled on the sunny side first. We were fairly even, and then she raced passed me at 8-3. It was time to switch sides. I would have liked to have blamed my score on the sun, but my game just wasn’t there. I was tired. I was distracted by the fact that I had to leave in a ½ hour, only to drive to the airport that was two hours away. The change of scenery helped me a bit. I fought back and regained some of my dignity. Finally, Rhoda defeated me 15-10.
One might think that it would be easy to medal when there are only three players, but there is a story behind every game, and I took the longest road possible to finish in second place. A grueling three hours of play. My quadriceps and glutes hurt for two days afterward. But, it was all for the love of Pickleball.
