Tennis Mama Drama

Lucas and I are playing mixed doubles together this year. It is so much fun and we are enjoying playing together! For those of you who do not know, my husband is a tennis rock star. I'm pretty good I think, but he is crazy South American prodigy child good. So together we make an awesome team.

Last night we played a strong team. I was so excited to play them because I knew it would be a close match, but I had a feeling we would come out on top. People, let me tell you - I was playing crazy good! I was keeping the ball in play, hitting winners, first serves in, winning service games at 'love' (meaning they weren't winning points off my serve), returning balls that I didn't think I could. It was a great night for me. I did make a few errors and double faulted once - but for the most part I was on fire. Lucas struggled a bit through a few games but was playing good, as usual.

The team we played doesn't lose much and apparently haven't quite grasped how to handle yourself when losing. And here is where the drama begins. We play on clay courts. When the ball lands, it leaves a mark. You can tell whether the ball was in or out. I was running for a short dropshot and couldn't make it. Lucas walked over and called the ball out based on the mark. This got the other lady in a tizzy. She was not happy about that call at all.

A couple of games later, Lucas called another ball wide that WAS wide. She flips out again! Mumbling LOUDLY that the lines must be out. A few games later, she hits what should have been an easy overhead into the net. She screams loudly: "I'm so worried about not getting it close to the lines that I'm missing this easy shit!"

The situation continues for the rest of the match. Loud cursing. Racket throwing. Evil stares.

Let me just say - my husband would not cheat. He has the most demure manor of any person I know. Second of all, he does not care enough about a local tennis league match (or anything else for that matter) to cheat. Third, he is so good that he does not have to cheat. I think most people recognize all these things about Lucas. On top of that, I witnessed all of the calls he made and they were good calls.
This woman really cannot handle losing. It cannot be that she was outmatched - she has to come up with any excuse possible for why she lost. Oh - and she did lose. 6-4, 6-3. Our post-match handshakes (standard tennis ritual of sportsmanship) was met with weak wrists, mumbled cursing, and looks away.

After the match she proceeded to walk up to every person who would listen and tell them what a lieing cheater Lucas is. LUCAS! Can you believe that?!? I can - from her. This is like standard operating procedure for her. She is full of shit. I hope everyone knows that. She is. We stayed to watch the deciding match for our team. Our team ended up losing in a third-set deciding match. This lady gets up and looks at the people watching saying "KARMA!", "KARMA!", "KARMA!". WHAT?!?!? Is this lady crazy?!? She must be!
Here is what gets me: this lady is nearly twice my age. She has three children - all of which play tennis and are pretty good. Is this the example she sets for them? I am deeply embarassed for her. What a pathetic existence! Please! I'm 24 and do not act this way. Get over yourself, lady. We beat you, fair and square. You are a loser ~ not because you lost in a silly tennis match, but because you have no manners, respect, or class. A classless loser.

Because I have class, I did not say anything. But she certainly was testing me. I am still considering saying something to her next time I see her. Her behavior was totally unacceptable. If I hear her say one more demeaning thing about my husband I certainly will say something. The anger is boiling up inside. SO - I hope she learns to keep her big mouth shut... maybe she can find some more appropriate manner of releasing her emotions.... say.... blogging?