Live play-by-play commentary for the Talent Pond Tennis Championship match! |
Talent Pond Tennis Tournament 2010 Championship Match - LIVE! Welcome to the Championship Match of the 2010 Talent Pond Tennis Tournament! Tonight we've got longtime tennis commentator (mostly from his couch) and former table tennis grand slam winner (suburban rec room league) Jeff giving you his unique brand of commentary on the match that's about to take place. Joining him will be the lovely and talented Brooke who became a household name with her record-setting twenty consecutive appearances at the U.S. Open (as a ball girl), and was famously ejected from Wimbledon after using the linespeople as target practice during the warm-up to her one and only qualifying match at a Grand Slam. Jeff and Brooke will be commenting throughout the match, but please feel free to weigh in with your own comments, observations and thoughts on the match as it's going on! NOTE: The commentators will be publishing their text in bold, so please refrain from using bold in your own comments, so viewers can differentiate between official commentary and that of the fans and viewers. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the game of tennis, below is a general overview and a glossary of common terms. We're going to try to apply these in a literary sense, so you're all part of a grand experiment to see if we can pull this off! GENERAL OBJECTIVE: The general objective of tennis is to win points by hitting the ball inside the lines on your opponent's side of the court, across the net. If your opponent cannot return the ball within the lines of your court, or if the ball bounces twice on their side, you win a point. GENERAL STRUCTURE OF A TENNIS MATCH: Tennis is a game scored in points, games, and sets. Traditionally, a tennis match is the best of three sets. For select top level tournaments, such as Grand Slams (and this one!), a match is the best of five sets. A set is won by the first player to win a minimum of six individual games, and a maximum of seven. TENNIS SCORING: A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving, and is won by the first player (or players) to have won at least four points by two points or more over their opponent. Points in tennis games advance using the following terminology: 0, 15, 30, 40. Score calling is unique to the sport of tennis in that each point has a corresponding call that is synonymous with that point value. Awarded Points = Corresponding call 0 = love 1 = 15 2 = 30 3 = 40 4+ = game In scoring an individual standard game of tennis, the server's score is always called first and the receiver's score second. If the score is 40-40, the next point would give you the "Advantage" (Adv-40) (since you have to win by two points), and the point after that would win the game. Sometimes, as many as ten or twenty points can be played before someone finally gets that second point to push them past "Advantage" and into the win for the game. Tennis scoring rests on the premise that serving is advantageous over receiving, hence it is only possible to win a set or match by breaking the opponent's service game at least once, before a tiebreak is required. If you win a game where you're serving, you've "held serve." If you win a game on your opponent's serve, it's called a "break (of serve)." In tennis, scoring in tie situations in which both players have won the same number of points also varies. If each player has won three points, the score is described as "deuce" rather than "40–all". From this point on, whenever the score is tied, it is described as "deuce" regardless of how many points have been played. Similarly, whenever the score differs by one, it is described as "advantage" (for the player with the additional point) until they either win the next point and win the game (two point lead), or they lose the next point, and the score is tied once again at "deuce." Point score = Corresponding call 0-0 = love-love 1-1 = 15-all (15-15) 2-2 = 30-all (30-30) 3-3 = deuce 4-4 = deuce 9-9 = deuce 9-8 = advantage 11-12 = advantage Tennis sets advance one game at a time, until you reach a minimum of six games won (or a maximum of seven)... and you have to win by at least two games over your opponent (except in a tiebreaker). Therefore, a perfect set (also called a "bagel") in one in which you win all six games in a row, for a set score of 6-0... meaning you held all three of your services games, and broke your opponent in all three of theirs. If the set score reaches 6-5, winning the next game will give you a 7-5 victory and win you the set; losing the next game will make it a 6-6 set score and a require tiebreaker, which is the first person to at least seven points, with a two-point lead. Thus, the shortest tie-breaker set would ultimately be 7-6 (7-0) - where you won every point of the tiebreaker, and no upper limit... some sets in professional tennis have gone as high as 7-6 (26-24), or 7-6 (21-19) until someone got that elusive second point lead. I know all of this can be very confusing, so let's distill this down to the very basics... the more sets (and the closer the number of games in those sets), the closer the match. A "perfect game" of tennis with no challenge would be a 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 victory in three sets, meaning your opponent didn't win a single set, or even a single game in any of those sets. A real nail-biter match would be a 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) victory, meaning you lost the first two sets in a tiebreaker, then won the next three sets, also in a tiebreaker. Make sense? If not, contact Jeff and he'll do his best to explain it better... but hopefully this will give you an idea of how tennis works. Again, you don't need to know all the rules of professional tennis; this is just some information to help make sense of anything discussed in the commentary. Now, some tennis terminology: Ace: A serve where the tennis ball is served in and not touched by the receiver. Backhand: Hitting the ball with the back of the racquet hand. Often hit by a right-handed player when the ball is on their left side, and vice versa. Ball Boy / Ball Girl: A boy or girl off to the side of the court, responsible for tossing tennis balls to the players when they're ready to serve, and retrieving them when they go out of play on the court. Baseline: The line at the farthest ends of the court (away from the net) that indicates the boundary of play. Change-over: The rest time between certain games, when the players change ends of the court. Code Violation: When a player commits a violation of tennis rules, such as uttering an obscenity, hitting a ball into the stands intentionally, or abusing their racquet. Crosscourt: Hitting the ball diagonally from one corner of the corner toward the opposite corner. Deuce: A score of 40-40 in a game. If someone has the Advantage and loses the next point, the score goes "back to deuce" (i.e. returns from Adv-40 to 40-40). Double Fault: A serve that goes into the next, clips the net, or doesn't land in the court is called a "fault." A double fault (two faults) on the same serve result in losing the point to one's opponent. Down The Line: Hitting a ball straight along the sideline of the opponent's side of the court. Drop Shot: A play in which the ball is hit lightly enough to go just barely over the net, designed to catch a player who is away from the net off guard. First Serve / Second Serve: The first (or second) of a player's two chances to get the ball in the court before a double fault is called. First Serves are generally faster and higher risk, while Second Serves are usually slower and safer to avoid a double fault. Forced Error: When a player hits a difficult shot, but misses. Forehand: Hitting the ball with the front of the racquet hand. Often hit by a right-handed player when the ball is on their right side, and vice versa. Game Point: The last point of a game before one player has the opportunity to win the game. Groundstroke: A forehand or backhand that is executed after the ball bounces once in the court. Let: When a ball from a serve touches the net, but lands inbounds. The serve is void and the server gets to retake the serve (no fault). Line Judge: A person designated to observe the passage of tennis balls over a particular boundary line. Line judges defer to the chair umpire, but cannot be overruled by players. There is typically a line judge for each boundary line on the court. Love: A score of zero. Thus, a score of 40-0 is read "Forty-love," a score of 0-15 is "Love-fifteen." Match Point: The last point of a match, where one player has the opportunity to win the match. In a championship, it's also called "Championship Point." Net Point: A point won or lost on approaching the net, as opposed to won or lost by hitting from the baseline. Out: Any ball that lands outside the area of play. Passing Shot: A shot that passes by (but not over) an opponent close to the net. Rally: A series of return hits between players. Some points involve multi-hit rallies, until one player misses. Serve and Volley: A strategy to serve and immediately move forward and make a volley to hopefully hit a winner. Set Point: The last point of a set, where one player has the opportunity to win the set. Smash: A ball hit with the racquet over one's head, typically downward into the opponent's court (like spiking a volleyball). T: Where the center line and service line meet, to for a "T." Umpire: The final authority on the rules of a match. Usually sits in an elevated chair on the sidelines to observe the ball in play. Unforced Error: An error in service or a returning shot that cannot be attributed to any factor other than poor judgment or execution by the player. Volley: A forehand or backhand shot executed before the ball bounces in the court. Winner: A forcing shot that cannot be reached by the opponent and wins the point We'll try to keep the commentary as simple as possible, but feel free to refer to the above terms if one comes up in the commentary and you need a refresher. |
Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "[Side comment: I always liked the back hand in tennis. It was the forehand that generally killed me ]" Jeff says "Both players are in their chairs courtside, toweling off the sweat and rehydrating. What a first set! This is shaping up to be one heck of a match!" Brooke says "Hey SoCal ... it's getting kinda hectic, how 'bout a joke? Why should you never fall in love with a tennis player?" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*knows this is the only beginning and tries not to get distracted*" Jeff says "I'm almost afraid to ask..." Brooke says "To them, "Love" means nothing. " Jeff says "" Jeff says "Okay, we're back after the break. This second set is all about characterization, and let me tell you folks, these two lovely ladies aren't going home without a fight. They've each held serve twice and the second set is tied at 2-2!" Jeff says "Sarah did a phenomenal job with her characters, balancing the in-ring personas with their real life personalities. With an inside-out forehand, she catches Morgan off-guard and gets the break! 2-3 Sarah!" Jeff says "They each hold with strong characterization, both for the protagonists and supporting roles. After some great tennis and no breaks of serve, Sarah's leading 3-5! She's one break away from taking the set!" Jeff says "Morgan, not to be outdone, holds serve for 4-5, then breaks back with a protagonist that's heartbreakingly complex and conflicted. With a textbook backhand down the line, it's 5-5 and all tied up again!" Brooke says "Wow, that purple outfit sure isn't causing the havoc she thought it would is it?" Brooke says "Holy cow, things are pretty tense. Both stories have such rich characters! I don't know who's going to pull this one out!" Jeff says "It certainly isn't! Sarah must be seeing red... er, purple... because she breaks back with a masterful drop shot for a 5-6 lead and the chance to serve for the set!" Jeff says "Things are breaking all over the place! This match just got even more tense... with a leaping backhand volley, Morgan breaks Sarah again and ties things up at 6-6. We're headed for a tiebreaker!" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*considers bringing out purple racket to complete the color scheme*" Jeff says "Sarah takes a commanding lead in the tiebreak, jumping to a quick 0-3 lead. Her protagonist's trouble taking out his idol is just a wonderful conflict to explore. Morgan manages to get on the board and make it 2-3 in the tiebreak." Brooke says "*CHOKES* ... He...lp ... So .. Cal ... pop ... corn ... stuck " Jeff says "Wow, Morgan's protagonist and his conflicted relationship with his father is a stunning creation. Simply marvelous to behold. She goes on a tear and wins the next four points in a row, giving her a handful of set points at 6-3 in the tiebreak!" Jeff says "No time to help you right now, Brooke! It's set point! I'll call the EMTs in a second..." Jeff says "Sarah rallies back with a touching end to her story, making up some of the deficit and climbing back to make it 6-5. It's still set point though..." Brooke says "COUGH ... COUGH ... gulp ... COUGH *reaches for SoCal's soda and accidentally spills it all over him.* " Jeff says "...and Morgan clinches it! She makes an incredible dive and edges the ball back over the net. Sarah just can't get to it in time! MORGAN TAKES THE SECOND SET (CHARACTER) 7-6(5)! Morgan's up two sets to none; one away from the win!" Jeff says "And I don't even care about the soda on my pants that makes it look like I wet myself. This tennis is spellbinding!" Brooke says "*starts laughing so hard at SoCal's comment that the popcorn pops out of her mouth and nails SoCal right in the middle of his chest. It's all wet and soppy so it sticks there.* " Jeff says "*Thinks it improves the paisley shirt and polka dot tie that the goons in publicity thought would "accentuate his features."*" Jeff says "We're well into the third set now, and it's all about the structure. It's getting ugly out there... Sarah held, then broke for a 2-0 lead. But Morgan breaks and holds right back to make things 2-2. They each hold and it's 3-3 before we know it!" Jeff says "With a delicate balance of the professional and personal lives of her characters, and the dialogue, Sarah rifles a forehand to hold serve and make it 4-3. Then she breaks with a passing shot down the line and is serving for the set at 5-3!" Brooke says "*gasps, taking in obscene amounts of air to make up for the last twenty breaths she should have taken.* What happened? Holy cow - looks like I'm not the only one catching my breath. Hardly a break and we're in the next set! " Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*is breathing very heavily under this onslaught*" Jeff says "The addition of sunglasses seems to be doing the trick... Morgan manages to break for 5-4 in the third set with a brilliant surprise ending, but Sarah's cliffhanger ending is a site to behold and she breaks right back with a leaping volley!" Jeff says "SARAH TAKES THE THIRD SET (STRUCTURE) 6-4!" Brooke says "Sarah definitely had some fight in here in that set! Well played!" Jeff says "Things are moving along briskly now. Sarah has kicked things up a notch and found a higher gear. She took the third set by a safe margin, and she's punishing Morgan in this dialogue set, breaking, holding, and breaking again to race to a 0-3 lead!" Brooke says "Our line judges haven't had much to do today but the ball boy Bikerider is certainly getting a workout!" Jeff says "She holds to love with a masterful serving display of aces and serve and volleys... and now she's up 0-4! Her dialogue, especially her banter between the characters, was brilliant and has her opponent reeling!" Jeff says "Especially with the winners these ladies are hitting! No casual trips along the net for Bikerider today... he's running all over the court trying to retrieve dead balls after they've been whacked into submission by our players!" Jeff says "The crowds have been unnaturally silent tonight. Maybe they're just in awe of the tennis display being put on before their very eyes! I do see dropped jaws all over the place! " Brooke says "I know! It's brutal! All clear cut volleys that are really keeping our crowd on their toes!" Brooke says "I think they're in shock SoCal ..." Jeff says "Morgan holds with minimal, but effective dialogue, making it 4-1 and is trying to get back into this set. She's dug a hole for herself, and Sarah's got a fire in her eyes. She senses the opportunity to get back in this match and isn't wasting it!" Brooke says "Sarah is really slugging it out. Her story 20 x 20 was a real scene stealer, her dialogue solid and realistic. She's not taking this championship lying down." Jeff says "She's certainly not! She holds her next service game to 15 with some brutal body serves and ups her ace count by three. It's 5-1 and Morgan's serving to stay in the set!" Jeff says "Morgan gets lucky with a shot that clips the net and falls dead on her opponent's size, giving her a hold on her service game after going back and forth for twelve points. It's 5-2!" Jeff says "Non-purple smoke is coming out of Sarah's ears after that net ball ended up in Morgan's favor. She plays the angles on her next service game, dictating play and sending her opponent running all over the court until she opens up and hits a winner." Brooke says "Both players are still looking pretty strong. Do you think Sarah will pull off her comeback in this set?" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "I'll take lucky." Jeff says "It looks like it, Brooke! With a monster serve, Sarah finds the corner of the service box and Morgan is helpless to watch as the ball flies by. SARAH TAKES THE FOURTH SET 6-2!" Jeff says "Morgan's looking tired out there, Brooke. I think Sarah's run to even the match is taking its toll, both physically and emotionally. They've been playing for close to two hours now, and Morgan's commanding lead has fallen back to even." Brooke says "Wow! I didn't see that coming! Things are happening fast here - how about a wrap-up of what's happened so far before we go on?" Jeff says "Sarah, on the other hand, looks pumped up and ready... if she were Leonardo DiCaprio and this were the Titanic, she'd be proclaiming herself King, er, Queen of the World right now. ... Wow, was that a really bad analogy..." Jeff says "Absolutely, Brooke! Morgan took the first two sets (story and character) 7-5, 7-6(5)... and looked poised for a straight sets win until Sarah found her second wind and won the third and fourth sets (structure and character) 6-4, and 6-2!" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*gathers strength, refusing to be rattled*" Jeff says "Now it all comes down to this final set... overall quality. It could go either way, and the players have just stepped back onto the court to close this match out! " Brooke says "This is going to be a stressful set SoCal ... I'm excited yet nervous. I can't imagine what's going through the contestants minds right now." Jeff says "In the fifth set, Sarah, still riding her adrenaline high, again races out to a 3-0 lead with a hold, a break, and a hold. Morgan holds again, but so does Sarah, and now it's 4-1. Getting close now... Sarah's two games from the championship!" Jeff says "But Morgan's finding her legs again, and will not go out without a fight. She holds and breaks, bringing it to 4-3 and giving herself a fighting chance at the title!" Jeff says "Morgan holds again to even the set at 4 games all. Her story was a marvelous and touching tale, and after a rare double-fault by Sarah on game point, Morgan breaks for a 4-5 lead! She's serving for the match!" Brooke says "What do you think will put them over the top? These two women really did their homework for this assignment. They're strong competitors, that's for sure!" Jeff says "Sarah will not be denied, though. Her story was a heartwarming tale of not just a pro and newcomer, but of a fan and his mentor. With a cry of triumph, she breaks back with a passing shot up the line. It's 5-5 again!" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*highly respects such a talented opponent!*" Brooke says "I can't stand the suspense!! *screams!* " Jeff says "With sweat dripping and both women looking exhausted, Morgan holds serve for a 5-6 lead and fist pumps as they switch sides. Sarah's not letting this title go easy though, and holds serve right back, sending us into a fifth set tiebreaker!" Jeff says "*slaps Brooke* Goddamnit! You're supposed to be the professional here!" Jeff says "It's all come down to this, folks. Fifth set tiebreaker, just over two hours on court. Both ladies have had an incredible run, with Morgan taking an early lead, only for Sarah to come powering back and leveling the match..." Brooke says "*looks stunned* I know ... I know ... I just can't take it. These women have fought their hearts out! They're both amazing writers! " Jeff says "They trade points... it's 0-1 Morgan, then 1-1, 1-2 Morgan, then 2-2... Some amazing tennis going on; drop shots, cross-court backhands, down the line winners, and aces... oh my! If anybody in the stands blinked, it's now 6-6 in the tiebreak!" Jeff says "Morgan takes one hell of a swing at the ball and paints the baseline corner, leaving Sarah shaking her head in frustration. MATCH POINT!" Brooke says "*Takes a deep breath* I'm afraid to blink!" Jeff says "Morgan wrote a hell of a story, and looks poised to take the win with her elegant characters and compelling drama. But Sarah says the fight isn't over yet and finds an angle that forces Morgan into an error. Tied again at 7-7!" Jeff says "And now Sarah has a match point of her own, with a slice that has so much backspin, it practically leaps away from Morgan's racket so badly, she only clips the ball! MATCH POINT for Sarah!" Brooke says "*Thinks of the scene in Morgan's story where her lead listens to his father's voice* ... She's drawing energy from her character! I know it! " Jeff says "Sarah hits a massive serve. An ace! No, wait! The linesperson just called it out. It's second serve! Oh Lord, could this get any more intense???" Brooke says "NO!! What more can happen!?" Jeff says "Morgan must indeed be thinking of her character and his father... she steps around Sarah's second serve and blasts it right back into the corner with a winner! It's tied up again at 8-8! Holy cow!" Jeff says "On her next serve, Sarah goes for a tidy drop shot... Morgan has to leap from behind the baseline. She flicks it over the net, then forces herself to change direction, backpedaling as Sarah lobs the ball back over the net..." Brooke says "The time on the court has to be wearing on these women. They have to be exhausted! How much longer can they continue at this pace!" Jeff says "... and Morgan sprints for it, hitting over her shoulder... AND IT GOES IN! Miraculously finding the side of the court Sarah wasn't in... and now Morgan has another match point at 9-8!" Jeff says "Morgan serves... it's returned... Morgan slices it back... Sarah takes it in midair, spiking it down... the ball bounces way high, looks like it's heading for the stands!" Brooke says "Just watching this event is wearing me out. *takes a deep breath*" Jeff says "Sarah moves closer to the net, anticipating the return. Morgan dashes, leaps... connects her racket with the ball as she's running in the opposite direction... looks like she's headed for the stands as well!" Jeff says "Morgan connects with the ball... it's sailing long... headed for Sarah's side of the court. Sarah watches it go over her head. Looks like it's headed out of bounds..." Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*can't breathe*" Brooke says "Holy Cow! Did that ball just hit ... Rafael Nadal?" Jeff says "IT'S IN! IT CLIPS THE BASELINE! Must have only been a fraction of an inch, but IT'S IN!" Jeff says "Morgan collapses to the floor of the court, great heaving sobs. MORGAN TAKES THE FIFTH SET, 7-6 and 10-8 IN THE TIEBREAKER!" Jeff says "Wow, what an incredible match. Both competitors put up a hell of a fight, and ultimately, the judges had to argue and debate and fight over the merits of each entry. Hell of a job from both competitors... they both should be proud!" Brooke says "*realizes she's been holding her breath and exhales deeply* " Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*can't get up, tears are salty* Oh. My. " Jeff says "FINAL SCORE: Morgan Adam Internet Problems! wins the championship and the title, with a 7-5, 7-6(5), 4-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) win over sarahreed!" Brooke says "That's right SoCal. I thought we'd never come to a conclusion ... what an awesome competition. Their stories blew me away." Jeff says "Congratulations to both competitors... truly phenomenal work. I wish we could have had you both win! Thank you for all your hard work, your excellent writing, and your great sportsmanship!" Jeff says "*Prizes and full reviews of the items will be coming shortly.*" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "*gets us, hold out hand shakily* Excellent play. Thought you were going to take it!" Jeff says "Thanks to everyone who participated in the Live presentation of the championship match! If you have time, please drop us a line by reviewing this In & Out and let us know what you thought of the activity!" Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "Thank you, both! Too much fun!" Jeff says "Feel free to chat in the forum for as long as you like as the stadium empties. Let us know what you thought of the match. Again, great work from both competitors... you didn't make it easy on us... both were outstanding entries! " Brooke says "Congrats to both of you ... you're both winners in my book. " Morgan Adam Internet Problems! says "I have to echo Sarah! I'm exhausted, but I wanted to stay up for the match!" Brooke says "G'night to both of you! Thank you for participating!" 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