‘It’s more fun’ in Ecoland

“It’s more fun” in Ecoland.
No, not anymore or everywhere in that plush subdivision where high concrete walls shield houses and residents have the fun all to themselves away from the prying eyes of the public.
Neither is it more fun at the Ecoland and bus terminal where chaos is the order of the day, what with horns, honking, engines vrooming, passengers rushing, and vendors moving hither and thither.
So, where’s the fun?  Well, it’s in that part of the subdivision where you find Eco-2 tennis club.
There on the twin courts, tennis buffs of varying shapes and sizes, professions and persuasions, tempers and ambitions, face each other in a mock confrontation, testing each’s mental alertness, athletic skills, physical stamina, tennis IQ and emotional equilibrium.
Everyday, from sunrise to sunset, except when “rain drops falling on your head”, certified lovers of the royal game send feathered yellow balls flying back and forth across the waist-high  net as the sound of laughter and banter, cheers and yells, grunts and rants, praises and curses fill the air, producing echoes in the wind that pump the players’ adrenaline.
Now, here are samplings of the unique brand of fun that occur only on the tennis court:
• A player gallops after a drop shot near the net, but unable to control his momentum, loses his balance and overshoots the net.
• A player leaps high for an overhead smash, but hits the air instead of the ball, which falls smack on his face.
• A player swings back his racket far and wide to unleash a hard forehand drive, but manages only a half-swing as the ball gets stuck in the racket’s throat.
• A player prepares to unload a potential ace after losing a point on is previous serve, vents his frustration on the ball, and bite it before tossing it up.
Tennis is fun!  Absolutely.  It’s a mixture of ballet, tango, rhumba, chacha, itik-itik, shatung.  It’s more than you can imagine.  But there’s more to tennis than a variety of wholesome fun.  Tennis exposes or reveals certain character traits of a player as a social being.
And so, we find three types of tennis players:  The good, the bad,  and the ugly.
The Good – He’s a gentleman on and off the court; he exemplifies true sportsmanship; he accepts defeat graciously, and is humble in victory;  he avoids petty arguments over contested points,  he exudes sincere friendly demeanor, and has a ready smile for  everyone;  he honors agreement set before a match;  he’s up-to-date with club dues; he’s a catalyst, not a critic.
The Bad – He’s an escape artist like Houdini;  he quickly disappears after losing, and intentionally forgets about the  ballboy’s fee;  he likes playing with new balls, but won’t use his own;  he enjoys getting away with brash talks, harmless misdemeanors and offensive practical jokes.
The Ugly — He’s a poor loser; he likes giving alibi for losing, and downplays the winner; he aims to win by fair or foul means,  especially foul; he’s unfamiliar with the rules of the game, but argues unreasonably;  he doesn’t care about sportsmanship – his views are all that matter.  This   guy is anathema to any tennis club.
Swedish tennis great Bjorn Borg, winner of 11 Grand slam titles, defines tennis as “a game where you put the ball over the net in such a way that it will not come back to you.”
That, I guess, pretty much explains the essence of fun and the secret excitement in tennis.
Tennis players call each other partner in fun, not in crime.