Learning from the tennis again

I used to play around trying to predict the outcome of tennis games with Yi. I still find it fascinating as a way of learning more about hexagrams. Big singles tennis matches are huge contests between two people – everything each individual has goes into it. And then they’re much analysed and talked-about, occasionally even by people who know, and the players give interviews afterwards… human character and ability (and luck) under the magnifying glass.

Well, this year’s men’s final was between Federer and Roddick, first and second favourites. But from the start there was a next-to universal expectation that Federer – who beat Roddick in last year’s final – would win. As Federer wrapped up the first set in about 22 minutes, I asked Yi about the ‘story’ of the match, and received 63, Already Across, changing to 15, Integrity. Hexagram 15 suggested it was about solidity of character and keeping a realistic, balanced view, and ‘Already Across’ sounded to me at once like ‘already decided’. The moving lines:

Line 1:
‘Drag on your wheels,
Soaking your tail,
No mistake.’
Not sure about that one at all! Though Federer did seem to slow down a bit towards the beginning of the second set – maybe losing concentration for a few minutes.

Line 5:
‘The Eastern people slaughter an ox.
This is not the way of the Western people’s sincere Spring offering.
Genuinely accepting their blessing.’
Not sure about that one, either! Though I imagine that it might contrast Roddick’s style of throwing in everything he’s got with Federer using less raw power, and just enjoying his own gift.

So far, so not-very-informative. What was intriguing was the relationship with my next two readings.

The story of the match for Roddick?
63 – again – unchanging. Already Decided, beyond a doubt – I’ve seen this hexagram unchanging with this meaning before now. He was still fighting away, he even broke Federer’s serve in the second set, but no-one seriously seemed to think he was in with a chance. Did he? You have to wonder.

The story of the match for Federer?
Hexagram 38, Opposition, changing at line 1 to 64, Not Yet Across.

The first line of Hexagram 38 speaks of losing a horse, not running after it, it’ll come back by itself. Bearing in mind that I cast this reading more or less when Federer was losing his service game, that image makes elementary sense. (In men’s tennis especially, the one who serves – who puts the ball into play, at speeds around 120mph – is expected to win the game most of the time, so losing a service game might reasonably be a cause for concern.)

It also says that seeing hateful, or hate-filled people, there is no mistake. Which is a little mystifying, as there’s no sign of any hostility between the two men at all. But Roddick must be immensely frustrated. He’s started making jokes that maybe he should just punch Federer, and said in his post-match interview, “I have loads of respect for him. I’ve told him ‘I’d like to hate you but you’re too nice’.”

Hexagram 38? See Federer’s post-match interview. He talks about being in two minds in the final set, making himself nervous, anticipating victory several games ahead: “At 4-3, I’m thinking of the trophy and the presentation and have to think ‘no, it’s not over yet’.” Hexagram 38 has to do with ‘seeing differently’, and specifically seeing into the future, and the presence of two different points of view. There’s Federer living in present and future at once, but ‘holding it together’ in the present with the strength of Hexagram 15. (Roddick must surely have been having visions of the immediate future, too.)

The really interesting thing is the way, while people talk about Federer being ‘the complete player’, he himself has just recently engaged a coach, who says Federer has areas of his game he wants to improve. I think that’s what Hexagram 64 is doing in the background to Federer’s reading: he hasn’t finished, doesn’t feel like he’s ‘made it’, is already thinking about winning again next year. What looks ‘Already Across’ to the rest of us, looking in, is wide open for him and always starting over, full of questions about what he might aim for next.