Dussehra Special Match at Sultanpur Farmhouse

🎾 Dussehra Match at Sultanpur Farmhouse

I visited Sultanpur Farmhouse on the morning of the Dussehra festival, as we had the day off from work. The farmhouse owner, a seasoned ITF player over 40, invited me to play a full-set match with all official rules applied.

We began with a 30-minute warm-up in a quiet corner of the court, practicing forehand and backhand groundstrokes, slices, and net play—including forehand and backhand volleys.

After warming up, we started a full set of six games. I chose to return first. The gentleman served impressively, and every game stretched to deuce (40–40), with long rallies and neither of us willing to let a single point go easily. It was a battle of endurance and defense.

I managed to take an early lead at 2–0. The sunny morning added a layer of exhaustion for both of us, as we fought hard for every point. I won the third game, making it 3–0. After changing sides, the sun was directly in my line of sight during serve, making it hard to track the ball. Though I’ve played professionally before and adapted quickly, I lost that game—score now 3–1.



I won the next game to make it 4–1. After another side change, we took a short break to strategize and recharge with bananas and dark chocolate.

Suddenly, the gentleman shifted gears and played aggressively, refusing to give away any points. I lost the next two games, bringing the score to 4–3. After another side change, I decided to play as an aggressive baseliner, attacking short balls with precision. Despite his strong defense, I managed to win the game, making it 5–3.

He bounced back in the next game, capitalizing on my fatigue from the previous rally-heavy points. The score tightened to 5–4. Knowing that a 5–5 tie would extend the match further, I planned to close it out. I switched to a defensive strategy, aiming for sharp angles and shorter balls to open up the court. He responded with powerful serves and relentless pressure.

The final game was a marathon—deuce after deuce, add-in, add-out, back to deuce—stretching all the way to 8–9. Both of us were exhausted and agreed not to push further. We decided to continue the match next Sunday.

🏋️‍♂️ Practice Highlights

  1. Groundstrokes – Forehand, Backhand
  2. Net Play – Forehand & Backhand Volleys, Smash
  3. Drop Shots, Backhand Slices

📌 Match Takeaways

  1. Improve net play consistency
  2. Develop deeper backhand slices
  3. Execute smoother drop shots
  4. Mix aggressive and defensive styles
  5. Increase first-serve percentage

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