Sport

I don't mind a bit of sport from time to time.  I have no favourite or claim to be any good at any of them but I'll have a go at most things with varying degrees of success or failure.  Sadly, my latest foray into the world of racquet and ball was definitely a failure.

The other day, in a rush of enthusiasm, I entered myself into the RMIT tennis tournament.  I've knocked a ball backwards and forwards on the broken down ( but free ) courts in Crouch End's Priory Park before. I even took lessons once many years ago where they taught me to do a cunningly concealed swerving serve.  It was all in the grip as I recall. Now, after all that time I've no idea what that grip was.

One of the teachers who was returning to his home country sold me his rather nice racquet at a very good price so, armed with that and my distant memories of hitting a tennis ball I got myself down to the courts on Friday afternoon.  The university has a brand spanking new sports complex with gym,  a large indoor space for 5-a-side football, badminton and basketball and a large field on the edge of which they have 3 courts.

The games started at 4pm with a doubles match, two teachers against two young, athletic and well trained students.  The teachers battled heroically for an hour against their opponents finally losing in a tie break.  My problem was that one of the young, athletic and well trained students was playing me next.

Some of these kids are rich.  They have iphones, designer clothes, an expensive foreign education and tennis lessons.  Needless to say I lost.  I did manage to get him to deuce in two out of seven games we played though.  I'm not going to give up, just pick my opponents a little more carefully in future.