Top 30 Points vs. Sen | Practice Match Highlights | May 2025

Ji vs. Sen 7-6[3], 3-5 (Court time expired)
Format: advantage set

Sen and I, both entered in this year’s Nasi Lemak Open (Division 1), ran a practice match. We’re in different groups and unlikely to run into each other, so consider this a “side event.”

Like last time we played, the score line is... inconclusive: I took the first set; he led by a break in the second when time ran out. Extremely physical session, and more importantly, under the tournament’s no-ad format, Sen would edge me on total number of games, 11-10.

This has interesting game theory implications: A strong server should always choose to serve first. In our format you can win scenarios like 6-3, 4-6 or today’s 7-6, 3-5. The match would feel pretty close, but we all know feelings are not real, and best shoved down if they bother us. I normally elect to return first, but for this year's Nasi Lemak I’ll start on serve if I win the toss to test out my theory.

Am I onto something? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Playing note:
Lighter, more active feet, play deeper on the backhand and less DTL without a good reason, have electrolyte and fast carb after the first set, and change shirts more than once as needed.

The full session video can be found at the end screen, and in the "Researchers Only" playlist.

1:52 Longest rally, 31 shots
3:14 First set set point
4:17 I char kway teow'ed
5:18 Spot serving