Golden Day with a Silver Lining

I had to wait for my hands to stop shaking, my palms to stop sweating and my heart to stop pounding before I could type a post on yesterdays matches.

Phil and Geoff played a good singles final.  The first set was very tight and close, and after Phil lost it 7-5, Geoff got on a roll.  All week long Phil had been serving so well in his singles matches.  First and second serves were spot on, serving guys off the court.  With that comes great confidence that trickles down to the rest of his game.  Only the tennis gods know what happens when the left toss arm suddenly decides to have a mind of its own, and toss the ball all over the place.  No matter what you do, it just won't do what you want it to.  That was the difference in the singles match. Phil fought hard, and played hard but lost to Geoff 7-5, 6-2.  He was disappointed in the fact that his serve was off, but he knew he had played well, and gave it all he had.  That's all we can ever expect.  It was Geoff's day to win, and he was very excited.

On to the doubles. This is where I thought I was going to lose it all, emotionally and physically.  Playing Tom Smith and Marty Pearson is never easy. They are both big bangers and pretty much anything hit shoulder height or higher is put away for a winner.  Phil and Geoff broke Tom the first game and held Geoff's serve to go up 2-0.  From there Tom and Marty reeled off 5 straight games. Phil managed to hold for 5-3, before they lost the first set 6-3.  The second set went to Phil and Geoff 6-3 after an early break.  There were some great points throughout the match, but also some easy balls missed by both teams that could have made a big difference in the outcome of the match.  In the third set, I felt pretty good after Phil and Geoff got an early break and were able to hold on to it to have Geoff serving for the match at 5-4.  They had multiple match points on Geoff's serve, but the pressure became too much. They weren't able to close it out. 5-5. I thought we were sunk.  The momentum was changing to Marty and Tom's favor.  Marty held to go up 6-5.  Phil held to get to the tiebreaker.  I am about to calmly lose my mind.  Marty and Tom go up a quick 3-0 in the breaker.  It's getting late early.  Phil and Geoff get it back to 3-2. Down 4-2. Back to 4-4. Down 5-4. Back to 5-5. Match point up 6-5. Geoff misses and easy sitter. Holy Crap! Back to 6-6.  Down match point 7-6. Saved it. Back to 7-7. Match point up 8-7, Geoff hits a great lob return over Marty, they both go back, throw up a short lob, Geoff comes in and angles off for a winner!!!  National Champs!  They did it.  I was so relieved, proud and exhausted all at once.  I am just not equipped to handle these tight matches!  It was a golden day with a silver lining!  It's been an exciting, fun and awesome week in Boise.

This is my first trip to Boise, and I am so impressed with how friendly, genuinely nice and accomodating everyone I have come in contact with from the hotel staff, the Boise tennis club, to the wait staff at restaurants and store clerks. We have a couple of days before we go home, so now we can relax, get a few hits in, go to a couple of movies and relish the fact that all of Phil's hard work has paid off.  Gold ball number 35!