My game has been struggling lately. Too many hits with slower, older, less challenging opposition, which I knew I would beat before the first ball. This went on for three weeks. I had a bad loss to the top junior I help train sometimes in Miami last week.
 
In my mind it was because I was not used to her fast pace speed of shots. I had been jogging for three weeks and suddenly I had to sprint and I struggled to adapt. She ran me ragged and would not let me into the match, 1616. Also there was a revenge factor as I beat her 64 and 54 late last year.
I know last week was not my best. I did not feel her pace and spin well and couldn’t slug it out with confidence. She dominated. But this week I got lucky. I drove by an old friend Yuri Bettoni in his BMW on Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach so I sent a message and he said Yes it was him and we agreed to hit yesterday. Finally I can hit again with a top flight sparring partner. Freedom from slow pace tennis.
Only a few times have I hit with professional tour players – Pierre Duclos, Jonathan Stark and Tom Gullikson at Davis Cup pro am. Gene Scott. Yuri was a pro, he was also a hitting partner for Roger Federer, Amelie Mauresmo, Mary Pierce, coach of Jeff Tarango and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. He also used to beat Marat Safin at Bollettieri Academy when Marat was a teen.
Yuri is the fittest guy in the world (google his videos) and he hits a pro ball. The ball fires at you and seems to pick up velocity off the bounce. To be honest, I was not sure if I would be wasting his time or if I could raise my level. I was not sure if his pro level game would make me feel like an awkward beginner. We chatted about tennis for a good 20 minutes – he shared a lot of fascinating insights about Federer’s teen training at the Swiss Federation academy and his mindset and certain details I will share in the future. Yuri is very intelligent and perceptive, he can read facial expressions and it’s clear from his memories that he knows Federer as an insider, and he knows what makes him tick.
The first few minutes of mini tennis I felt uncoordinated. My whole tennis instinct and rhythm has felt uncoordinated for weeks, out of rhythm from too many slow ball opponents. Timing off.
But after a few minutes of baseline, my timing and rhythm came back. Yuri hits the hell out of the ball. He is an ambassador for Dunlop and he let me use one of his sticks. Let me tell you, Dunlop makes a super nice, powerful, efficient, balanced racquet. Yuri’s form is perfect, like a pro he can snap his wrist and really pulverize the ball, exploding penetrating deep balls. But I was able to counter them back and even the awkward ones where I was jammed or off balance. I fell into a groove and was able to sustain long rallies. Hitting the ball as well as I ever have.
What a wonderful feeling, a terrific high to feel like you are slugging it out with a professional caliber player. Thump thump thump, back and forth, we gave that ball a beating. He was grunting, I was grunting and the balls were piercing through the air. We did cross courts, down the middle, inside out forehand. Non stop slugging it out, long rallies of 10-20-30 shots.
It might have been my very best feeling ever on a court.
It got better too. Towards the end, Yuri even said, “You don’t miss.” Then he felt a need to repeat it with more emphasis to commend me with a hint of wonder, “No…You DON’T MISS.” It may have been the best compliment I ever got on a tennis court besides when Rich Sussman called me back in 2000 or 2001, “You’re an animal. No, you’re an ultimate animal.” Ken Lundgren called me “The Blonde Sampras.” Ron Plashke yelled after a good point this year, “I can’t believe how incredible you play.” Pierre Duclos, former 240 in the ATP, “You’re an incredible defensive player. You have the heart I didn’t have.”
Yuri seemed stunned how I could get every ball back, even tricky short hoppers. He actually smiled and laughed a few times at some of my better counter shots.
To make clean contact and hit a solid powerful shot is a natural high in itself. People spend millions of dollars and countless hours to obtain the capacity to hit a tennis ball with the power and touch of a pro. It takes years or even decades to master this talent. Some never do. Many keep trying. Some resign to golf or fishing or biking.
After one of the best hits of my life, a few realizations emerged. You can lose confidence and timing very quickly in tennis. And forget how good you are, were and can be. Confidence is a fragile thing on a tennis court. It takes deep concentration and discipline and hard work to sustain it. And a very good sparring partner or opponent. And if you hit some very good shots, that can spark your game and confidence.
Within hours I felt washed up and uncoordinated, now I feel ready to play anyone any tournament. I can’t wait to play a singles match. After our hit I played as a sub in a mixed doubles 4.5 league. With a new partner I never met against a good solid male player I know pretty well and his friend. We killed them 61 61. I missed about three balls all match. My partner was very good too which helped a lot. You know how mixed doubles can go.
I am going to keep hitting with Yuri, who benefited also from the three hours of baseline bashing. I expect this hitting can take me to my very best level. And possibly to a revenge win against that elite junior down in Miramar.
The best is yet to come…
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