go down with dignity
How to take a beating, that is the question. Playing far worse than your opponent will normally get the job done without too much ado but what to do and how to react when such an event happens is a quandary facing us all at some point in time. Even Jhangir had it to face at the hands of Ross Norman following his unbeaten five-year record.
In defeat you will face one of three emotions:
1. Calm Acceptance. The best man won, and no surprise, it wasn’t you.
2. Slight disappointment. You though you had a chance, and if another 26 flukey nicks had followed the first then your opponent would have been worried. Perhaps.
3. Rage. How did that no-mark b*gger beat you? Must’ve cheated. Where’s the ref?
If you’re not sure which of these emotions you’re experiencing you’re probably British, so the answer will be #1, and a good stiff-upper lip to you as well.
The key however is you must never let the true ‘cat out of the bag’ and always give the impression of an emotion different from the real one. So if you experience #3, you have to say “Well, the best man won. I thought you played superbly today and put away all your chances with aplomb. It was a pleasure to be on the same court as you.” This is because everyone will expect you to be furious and incandescent, so you must appear the consummate sportsman that everyone knows you’re not.
If you experience #1, you need to storm past any spectators or team members with a belligerent scowl and caustic turn of phrase. This is to show anyone who reckoned you were going to lose anyway that you have pluck, fighting spirit and true grit.
If you are a #2, pick one of the other two at random, just so you don’t look like the damp rag you really are!
