The service-form shown here is questionable, as you might expect from someone who was mainly a spazz-type egghead nerd for the first 40 or so years of living. Nevertheless, the flawed technique has been seemingly overcome by the server’s flexibility and strength, surprisingly commendable for a newly turned 56-year-old. It’s never too late — mostly!
Two years ago when we were leaving Kauai, it looked like the tennis courts on which we had played might be nearing the end of their usefulness.
They were in disrepair, and one of the the three courts on the grounds had become a hydroponic center-slash-hothouse for the growing of leafy green vegetables to be served in salads on the premises.
And the two courts that remained, well, they were seemingly headed that way of the nursery, too. Cracks in the surface, tattered nets, chipped lines, the whole appearance of benign neglect. Tennis was on the outs.
Two years later, and not only were the courts still there; remarkably, they were in better shape than we’d ever seen in our 11-plus years of visiting.
Now, as much as we hate the picklenickel and other assorted fads (looking at you, crypto, and you too, 3-D broadcast TV, and QAnon, etc.), it probably was the recent surge in popularity of America’s newest racquet sport that had kept the tennis courts not just alive but thriving.
The surfaces had been redone, the nets were new and taut, and both remaining courts (the third court still was reserved for the vegetable-farming) had not succumbed to local agriculture!
The only concession that had to be made to the picklenickel fanatics was having the lines for that game drawn on top of the existing lines for traditional tennis.
The courts themselves were quite gritty and tacky, at least compared to the worn-down nearly bald public courts we were used to playing at home in Studio City. These Kauai courts were slow, maybe trending toward clay-court heaviness, with the attendant high bounces and extra time to prepare for the groundstrokes.
The sun and wind were sometimes problematic, especially regarding service-tosses and lobs; the jet stream had to be acknowledged. The humidity also was a factor, and combined with the wind, hard-hit balls were staying inside the baseline; under calmer, drier conditions, those balls likely would have sailed long.
BestLine Racing Society Recap:
Aqueduct, Keeneland (Opening Day!), Laurel & Woodbine earlier.
Right away in the opener from So. Ozone Park, N.Y., #5 La Grotte (.232 Win Prob / 3.31-1 Fair Odds / 4.17-1 Premium Odds) got the win at $14.80. And then nothing. That was it; the whole shooting-match. Bloodbath.
BestLine Racing Society Nightcap:
Remington again.
Strongshots
6Oct23 7RP
6Oct23 9RP
You must be logged in to post a comment.