By Aaron O'Connell
This weekend, much to my chagrin, I was asked by a friend to attend a UP tennis match. I scoffed and gritted my teeth, but in the end there I was, walking to the tennis courts on a snowy Sunday morning.
Upon arriving, it took me at least 20 minutes to find the proper way inside the building, which might be the least user-friendly sports facility on campus. And as I entered, I realized that there would be no way that concessions would be served here, as I had previously hoped.
There were no stands, aside from an elevated observation room, where the people looked more suited to be watching a surgery than a tennis match.
Aside from that, there was a line of chairs along the court, protected from flying tennis balls by a net, draped from above. And there I sat, tired and ready to be bored.
But I wasn't bored at all ... the match was absolutely amazing.
The ball sped at unbelievable speeds back and forth across the three side-by-side courts, as the combatants swung their rackets, making it look almost easy.
I had time to reflect that I knew almost absolutely nothing about tennis, except for uncomfortable memories of childhood summers when my father tried to make me learn. Like most sports, I was lamentable at best, and vowed to never return to tennis.
And aside from brief glances at televised tournaments, I never had really given it a chance.
But watching the UP team play, I decided that tennis was actually a remarkably entertaining sport. But there were only maybe a couple dozen spectators there. And granted, the tennis center was more like a warehouse than a court, but it really was an exciting experience. In fact, there are several reasons why you really should go see a tennis match on campus.
Number one: You get to sit right there. Watching tennis on TV doesn't really quite show how hard tennis players hit the ball, or really put you in the game.
Number two: We have a good tennis team. I'm sure the match I saw could've been an anomaly, but during the portion I watched, we didn't lose a set. And it was nice to realize that UP is good at our other sports.
Number three: It was actually pretty intense. Almost every player on both sides turned their head and muttered or yelled words in a different language. In addition, there were some on-court arguments, as both sides played with equal tenacity. And although I doubt there will be any 'throw downs' on the court any time soon, the exchanges are quite entertaining.
Number four: It's a relaxing way to spend some time. True, the whole match lasted about nine hours, but people can go in and out at their leisure - and sit back and watch some great athletes.
So if you are looking for a way to break the basketball monotony, go watch some tennis.
?Aaron O'Connell is the sports editor of the Beacon. He can be contacted at oconnell11@up.edu
