Hot, Hot, Hot Firecracker Tennis on Fourth of July

It might be the slightest of exaggerations to say that it was hotter than a firecracker during the July 4th Firecracker Tennis event. It isn’t a common sight to see our hearty, diehard tennis members seeking shady shelter before a round is completed during a round robin event, but that was certainly the case this past Saturday.

The humidity hung heavily over the courts and all who dared to exert the effort to make racquet and ball inhabit the same space at the same time…uh, that means hit the ball. [Obviously, I’m still foggy from last Saturday]. Yet, exert effort we did on the 4th, and we had a good time doing so.

Our 8am session pit 14 Bombers against 13 Torpedoes and a Pro. Of course having a pro on their team did not affect the outcome whatsoever, but somehow the Torpedoes came out on top despite trailing going into the third and final round. Trailing 4-3 after the first round, the Torpedoes tied the contest at 7-7 going into the third, before emerging with the 11-10 victory.

I only feel a tiny bit guilty that I unleashed my ferocious lefty game against Club Champions (Court Crasher Division) Liz Byck and Jan Carlson, and had Judy Jones as a partner carrying me to victory. I’ll give my share of the prize money to the vanquished Bombers.

In the 10am session, the playing field, or “playing court” as it were (don’t you just hate that “as it were” phrase?) was leveled considerably, since there were no pros involved, lefty or otherwise, to intimidate our members. A full complement of players with 16 Bombers and 16 Torpedoes took to the courts to determine air or sea supremacy.

The Bombers may have had a chance, but May-Jo Hynden came off the injured reserve list specifically for this challenge, and her presence was just too much for the Bombers. Or, perhaps it was the indomitable spirit of Meg Jacobs, whose bounce may be as dangerous as a Bouncy Betty.

In any event, the Bombers, once again, got off to a great start, leading 5-3 after Round 1. The Torpedoes started their comeback in Round 2, but still trailed 9-7 going into the final round. By the time the final whistle had been blown, the Bombers’ two-point lead had evaporated amidst the steam rising from the tops of the competitors’ visors and caps.

The final tally was Torpedoes 14, Bombers 11, after the Torpedoes tattooed the Bombers 7-1 in the final round. Ok, to be fair, the competition was really much closer than the final score indicates. According to “Event Commissioner,” George “Big Daddy” Kane, almost every match came down to tiebreak situation.

After a comprehensive and very scientific survey of participants (it really was more like eavesdropping), it appears that the serve variation the “Commissioner” threw in to liven things up in the first round, met with mixed reviews. However, based upon the self-same survey, we can conclude that at least 57 of the 59 participants (97%) had a terrific time…and that was before the eating and drinking even began.

For next year’s event, we will be looking for a volunteer to sing the National Anthem before play begins. Yes, we are moving into the big time at Gulf Harbour. Start practicing your rendition now so that you will be ready by July 3, 2010!