Postal Tennis

by Howard Bishop

Forget Ilie Nastase and Yvonne Goolagong, this is tennis without going to Wimbledon, switching the TV on, or heaven forbid picking up a racquet and heading down to the local park.

Each postal turn, both players state how many actual points they will win, based on the expenditure of Stamina, according to the table below, e.g. expending 4 stamina means the player will "win" 14 points in the next postal session. The order in which points are "won" by the two players is determined randomly. If a player is serving, the point is automatically won, if they are returning, the point is won on a roll of 1-4 on a d6. Players start with 75 stamina each. A session is completed when the points are won or a set is completed (uncompleted points are lost in this case).

Example of play : A chooses to "win" 7 points (+2 stamina) and B chooses to "win" 11 (-1 stamina)

The order of points is ABBABBAABABBABBBAB.

A serves (15-0)

B rolls a 5 (still 15-0)

B rolls a 3 (15 all)

A serves (30-15)

B rolls a 1 (30 all)

B rolls a 6 (still 30 all)

A serves (40-30)

A serves (game to A, A leads 1-0)

B serves (15-0)

A rolls a 3 (15 all)

B serves (30-15)

B serves (40-15)

A rolls a 5 (still 40-15)

B serves (game to B, 1 game all)

B rolls a 4 (0-15)

B rolls a 3 (0-30)

A serves (15-30)

B rolls a 1 (15-40)

At the end of the session A has 77 stamina left and B has 74. Play would resume with B having 2 break points (at 1-1 in the first set). Hope you get the general idea.