That's My Chair

I was playing in the women's singles event finals at the BCAPL Texas State tourney the week of April 6th.   As I was at the table, about a game down in the middle of the match, I was busy surveying the table for my next shot when I see out of the corner of my eye, a guy came from the large crowd (of mostly my opponents' friends) and sat down in my chair and then scooted it over close toward my opponent.

I stopped shooting and said to him, "that's my chair."

He looked at me funny and said, "I'll give it back."

First of all,  please get out of my chair.
Second of all,  I'm in the finals, that's very rude.
Third of all,  you just moved it away from where I was sitting!  That was my little comfort area, near my water and napkin.

I stood there not knowing what to say, and then my opponent found him another chair.   He scooted mine back, then proceeded to sit next to her and talk to her while I was shooting.  Very distracting!

After my turn at the table, I sat down (in my chair) and the guy leans over and says, "I'm sorry I took your chair."

I was pretty annoyed still.  I said,  "I wouldn't let any of my friends take her chair,  or let them sit next to me and talk.   We are in the finals. "

He didn't know what to say, as the last part of my sentence I really mumbled,  because I'm not one for confrontation.

Later on the the match, maybe closer to hill hill the first set, my opponent was at the table.  Someone came and sat right in my opponent's chair.  "Ummm,  that's her chair, " as I pointed to my opponent at the table.

He replies, "that's my home girl," pointing to my opponent.  I reply, "well, that's still her chair."  He finally looked around for another chair and sat in the new one.

I understand people want to watch the finals, or watch their friends play, but please be courteous of the chairs for the players.  It's so annoying and frustrating to come back from a shot to sit and collect your mind to a seat that is now taken by someone who is inconsiderate or not consciousness enough to realize the players have to sit and you might be taking their little chair that they had been in comfortably the entire match.  It throws off our rhythm.  You may think it's minor, but it's really not.

It's the place of comfort we retreat to.  And taking or sitting in our chair disrupts that. And we are no longer focused on the match, where our head needs to be.  Instead, we are trying to locate another chair to sit in, as is courteous etiquette towards our opponents to sit.