Sunderland, GBR - Day Five

Today was a good day, a bit nerve racking at times but it was worth it. I'm mostly talking about our doubles match this afternoon. We ended up winning a nail biter 6-3 6-7(5) 12-10. It was a crazy match. The first set was played pretty clean by us. We didn't need to do anything special this set, we just played consistent, played aggressively when needed to and our opponents towards the end of the set just seemed to not care really. We all were holding serve up until 4-3 us, and when we broke our opponents to go up 5-3 they kind of tanked (gave up) the next game to give us the set. Then the next set was more competitive. We ended up getting broken  early in the set and found ourselves down 2-5. To get to that point we were the ones making more mistakes. Trying too hard and missing easy shots that we shouldn't have. But when we were down 5-2 we started to play like we did in the 1st, consistent, being patient, and putting volleys away when we could. I ended up serving the next game and I ended up having my best service game of the match. One ace and 3 missed returns. Then I got a break because our opponents hit a bunch of second serves and made an early mistake in the point. But the key to playing doubles is make your first serve, make your return, and make your first volley. If you can do those things doubles will get easier for you. If you do all of these you automatically put pressure on your opponent, giving you a better chance of winning the point. So we are now down 4-5 and we end up holding just barely. We had a deuce point and they play no ad scoring, so the team that wins the next point wins the game. (I think it is stupid but rules are rules) But our opponents ended up hitting their volley long so we are now tied at 5-5 and again one of the girls seemed to give away the game, with 3 well long forehands and a well played point by us. So now we are ahead 6-5 and I'm serving. I hoped to of had a service game like the last one but nope, didn't happen. I made about 1 first serve that game and a few errors at the net cost us the game. So we headed for a tiebreaker. The first couple points our opponents got lucky. We won the first point, then I served and the returner hit her backhand late for passing shot angle winner. The next point the other returner broke her strings on the return and the next ball hits a slice forehand angle dropshot that hits and skids on the line. But oh well. So we ended up being down 4-2 came back to 4-3 and the next point we found ourselves both at the net and our opponents on the run, but they throw up a short lob right down the middle and both my partner (Eva) and I thought we were going to hit it, but at the last second neither of us hit it. Great communication there, I'm just going to chalk that up to the language barrier. hahaha. Oh well. Then the next point we lost it because I missed a high forehand volley. I got too excited and took too big of a swing and it sailed long. So we ended up losing one of the next 2 points and lost the set. Now it came down to the deciding 10 point tiebreaker. (I really wish the rules were play Ad scoring and keep the tiebreaker for the 3rd set. I don't mind that, but having them both isn't really fair because not always does the better team win. And they don't play this way in the Slams so why should us bottom feeders have to? Anyway, whatever.) So the third set tiebreak we found ourselves down 4-2 again. We didn't start off bad, they just had some good shots, they were playing better than us at this point. Then it was 7-5 them and then down 9-6. Then next point my Eva was at the baseline on the forehand side, and I'm at the net on the backhand side. She was hitting a bunch of forehand cross courts and eventually our opponent hit one close to the middle and I move over and hit a low forehand drop volley winner. 9-7. Then 9-8. The next point Eva and I were both at the net and she gets a high forehand volley that she takes a whack but is late and it looks like it was sailing out but somehow lands on the outside of the line. Our opponents were pretty much celebrating as the ball was in the air, but they never got the call. And we did have 3 umpires on our court (1 chair, 2 long lines) so he saw it in and we took the point. 9-9. The next point I can't really remember specifically what happened but I know we lost the point because I remember thinking I just need to make them play on their match point. So it was 10-9 for them I get my return in and get to the net and Eva puts the next volley away. 10-10. The next point Eva gets into another cross court rally and our opponent misses her forehand deep. 11-10 us. Match point, I'm returning. Before the point Eva and I discussed me going down the line because the girl at the net was looking for the cross court, but I just said I need to get it in and I'm going cross court, need to keep it simple and hit a high percentage shot. So the girl serves a kick serve to my backhand, I slice it low cross court, knowing the girl was going to cross and put the volley up the middle (like she had done throughout the match) so after I hit it I moved over a step or two towards the middle and I was right. The girl sticks a volley right down the middle and I was waiting for it so I ended up hitting a slice forehand deep cross court where the girl had to hit it backing up and hits it up enough for me to move up and stick a volley winner to win the match. Talk about a nerve racking. Eva and I were both shaking after the match because of all the adrenaline pumping in the last few points. But it was a great match, we had some great points, and I'm so glad we came back to win that. The finals is tomorrow. And we get to play against the girl I lost to in singles and her partner. So I hope to beat her this time around! I'll let you know how it goes.