Catching Up on Friday

Catching Up With...Senior Memories from Jonny Shenk

Ben Baker has an infamous spot in Bethany tennis lore. Over the two years I played him he became my nemesis of sorts, and despite my desire to win he was probably my favorite opponent of my Bethany career. His enthusiasm, odd exclamations ("ay carumba"), interesting apparel (headband and cross tattoo), and ninja instincts put him in a class of his own. He had dealt me my worse loss of the season sophomore year (8-1) and I had been nervously anticipating our rematch ever since. The match turned out to be about as epic as it possibly could have been.

Northwood was our first good competition in a while and I remember my nerves tingling as they came off their bus onto our courts. I was able to settle down a bit during the warm-ups though, and realize that there was no pressure on me because I could do no worse than I had last time.

The first game was crucial. I wanted to start it off right, but he was determined not to let the guy he had crushed get a lead. We went to several deuces, but finally I pulled it out. I could already tell that it was going to take all my energy and focus to pull the win off. Just as we started the second game a train came rumbling by our 3 singles court and I was able to use this distraction as a home court advantage to pull in another game. Things started getting fierce after that. I was dealing with a blister that was forming through a hole and my sock and I allowed this to distract me enough to go down 5-4. However, my determination was restored after seeing that Mikey and Daniel had pulled off a first set win. I battled back and forced a tie break, which I was able to win 7-2. Then things started to get crazy. Rain started to gradually pick up as we got into the first game of the second set. On game point Ben Baker slipped on the slickness of the court and gave me the perfect chance to get the game with a well placed winner. Instead I hit it in the net. A rain delay was called at this point.

After changing socks during the rain delay I proceeded to lose three games in a row. Having the security of a first set win under my belt took the intensity out of my effort. I realized that I'd have to pick it up if I wanted to stay in the match and started sprinting after balls. It was around this time when I was lunging for a well placed ball down the baseline that I turned my ankle and thought that I heard something pop. Initially this injury served as motivation to get back in the match, to be a wounded fighter, and I was able to bring it back to 3-4.

Then the rains came again and this time they were serious. After huddling in the food tent away from the torrential downpour for a few minutes we resolved to move the match to the Racquet Club. This break gave me more time to think about my ankle, which did indeed hurt a bit, and in the first few games at the Club my distraction showed. Ben Baker easily finished off the second set and went up 2-0 in the third. Matt basically had to tell me to suck it up and forget about anything else besides playing my game. Those were much needed words. I began to battle back desperately but initially it didn't work. I played long point after long point with Ben Baker, but he kept winning them. My frustration reached a high point when I scrambled back to hit a high lob only to see it sail too high into the ceiling. I let it out with a series of yelled "Are you kidding me"s and "What the heck"s. Then on the next point he hit a winner right passed me down the line. My momentum carried me into the wall and in my anger I smashed my racket against it. Luckily for me it only cracked. Also luckily for me Matt didn't call a point penalty. I remember Mikey being very surprised by my behavior on the next court down and trying to calm me down, but at that point I wasn't prepared to go down without a fight.

I still don't know what gave me the ability to turn the tide of the match and begin a comeback, but I know that in this one case I wouldn't have been able to win without the anger that gave me drive and energy. I still didn't necessarily think I was going to win though. I retook the lead at 3-2, but Ben came right back and went up 4-3. It's at this point that I'm surprised I didn't fold and lose the match. My ferocious comeback had failed and he had taken the lead. Somehow I kept fighting. The match had been going for at least two and half hours and almost every shot was accompanied by a grunt. At the end of every point Ben and I would scream a simultaneous "YES!" or "NO!" regardless of whether it had been a winner or a missed overhead. I don't remember any of the individual points clearly, but finally I got to match point. The point was no different from the rest just a series of slowly paced shots hit back and forth, but finally he hit it in the net and the match was over. He lay quietly on the court holding his head in his hands for sometime before coming to shake my hand. "See you at sectionals," was all he said and already at that point I wasn't sure if I'd be able to muster the energy to beat him again, but for now I was just happy to have won.

Sadly the match did not end in a win for the team. Even more sad was the fact that we lost in sectionals as well, where Ben trounced me in two sets. But at least for one day I had my revenge against the notorious Ben Baker (who really isn't that bad of a person).