are you playing in Sectionals? you mentioned the other day was your first match. did you just join a team that played in the Fall Season? if so, that is the same USTA/SCTA league that I participated in, just at the 3.0 level. good luck to your team. me and my partner were definitely the anchor of our team. we would play Line 1 or Line 2 throughout the season according to our captain's strategy. because of our dominant play on day one, we were able to advance to the Championship Round. and our line gave the champions a hell of a match in the Finals. I am really proud to be a part of the team. needless to say, I also got bumped up to 4.0 on January 1st, based on two seasons of play including a summer tri-level league(Line 1=3.5, Line 2=4.0, Line 3=4.5) I joined the doubles team to help me with my net game, especially in singles. but the fact of the matter is that I am also a defensive player like you. I like to chase everything down and I return everything with a solid stroke and consistent crosscourt approach on both forehand and backhand. my partner and I developed a technique that had him covering the net and me staying back and covering the baseline. our opponents had to pick their poison. I would get everything back without them being able to poach and my partner would put it away. rarely did you see both of us at the net but a team like that is what we eventually lost to.
