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Older but not wiser

I was persuaded to play in the tournament this week before realising that it was going to be played on clay, my least favourite surface, and the temperatures are in the mid to high thirties.   I received the days and times on my phone.  My first match was today at 12 noon!  What idiot plays tennis at 12 noon?  Well I do apparently.  I began well, winning the first 3 games against a much better and younger player than me, but then the sun beating down got to me.  The heat I can deal with but the sun is unbearable, even wearing a hat.

I ended up losing the first set, when we actually sat down for a few minutes.   When I stood up I could feel my shorts were soaking wet, cold wet, not sweat wet, although they were that too.  I  had sat on my towel, which the water bottle  had leaked all over, and I hadn't even noticed.  This was not just damp shorts.  I resumed play with water running down my legs.  It could have been embarrassing but I didn't care, it was cooling me down and I took advantage of it, winning the second set.  The only problem was that we had to play a third set which I lost.  Tomorrow I play at 11am, not much better in my opinion.

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