The match started before the scheduled 6 pm "official" start time. By the time I arrived, Otis was up 10 to 4. Hook said during a time out that Otis was en fuego, rolling everything off the back wall. Hook reported that he was hitting the serve too hard, it was coming off the back wall, and Otis' was putting them all down. Otis usually made good shot selection decisions choices with some noted exceptions, when he would mid-rally, do something irrational and bizarre, which cost him to lose a point he had totally in the bag. Charlie Tuna said, "The problem with Otis is software; nothing wrong with the hardware". That summed up the match. Fairly even hardware (with a nod to Otis), but Chuck's software was far superior when the match was close, enabling him to earn the tough decisive points. A history of being in such a situation many times before served the calm and cool veteran well. This was Otis' first time in the "box" so to speak. Hook's serve shined at the end of both games; hard breaking, deceptive hooks that either caught either side wall for an ace, or were sliding and hopelessly fading away from the outstretched arm of Otis. Perhaps the main factor which caused Otis to not take either game was his lack of thinking in the service box in contrast to Hook's perhaps divine use of said box. Tuna observed, "If you got a bazooka, why lob it into play. You got to use what you have and Otis has the power", as Otis delicately lobbed a candy ace under hander, which Hook promptly slapped to the ceiling, causing Otis to scramble back to the rear corner to miss a tough back wall shot. Otis did not exert enough pressure on Hook's defense from the service box, electing not to use the power at his disposal.

Not only did Hook play far above my expectations, serving well, hitting wise "make him run" shots during a rally, hitting superb cross court kill shots to the left corner which kept Otis off balance and usually died unreturned, but, his lack of conditioning never was a factor. Otis exhausted all of his time outs and Hook took none, save one glove change. To his credit, despite the pressure, Otis played superbly, even during the clutch points at the end of both games. I conclude that Otis did not lose; Hook won.

Props to both players for the free show which was "Masta" Card priceless. Well, not quite priceless for some; one mo-fo owes me $100 and another owes me fitty $.

The best gem of the evening came from Provisional (P) Dan Acosta (even Captain Obvious would be embarrassed). The title of the email is:

"Game 2 match over Hook 21 Otis 19. Long rally Back wall set up and Hook killed the mo fo"

But yet, P. Dan asks:

"Who won game 1?

Daniel G. Acosta"

Fats