Macon, France. 10k

Well my tournament here in Macon didn't go so well. I started off in the qualifying draw. First round I ended up playing a girl from France and won 6-0, 6-1. Then second round I played another girl from France and lost 6-7(5) 4-6. This match I thought I played well. I came to the net often and made her come up with the passing shots. I was down 5-2 and managed to hold serve then break her to get it back on serve at 5-4. I held and then broke her again. I was serving for the set at 6-5 and lost it on a long deuce game, and to make things worse at deuce I missed a shot that I've hit many, many, many times in practice and I'm able to make it 9 out of 10 times, well this shot was that 1 that I don't make. I was a bit upset at myself for that. Then in the tiebreaker I was still playing my game but I ended up missing yet another low forehand that I usually whip it inside in low over the net and follow it in, but missed that one on the top of the tape. Again another shot I practice, and I missed it during a critical time in the match. Had I made it and won the point that would have given me a good chance to take the tiebreaker but instead it was now 4-3 instead of 5-2. After a bunch of long rallies I ended up losing it 5-7. However, I wasn't upset, I played that set the way I wanted to and she made one more ball in then me on the bigger points. In the second set I continued with my game plan. But I ended up getting broken early. I still thought to myself that I had a good chance of breaking her, because I did it twice in the first set, but that wasn't the case this time around. Throughout the set I was still attacking anything that landed short, I was mixing in serve and volleying, even on second serves, I felt like I was moving and hitting the ball cleanly. Then at 2-3 I had a great opportunity to break her serve. I won the first point on her serve then the next point I hit a drop shot to  her forehand side and she replied with a floater right in the middle of the court. I should have just put it away down the line, but instead I thought that would be too obvious and decided to go back cross court. Well she was waiting there and she hit a volley back at me and I hit the next volley deep into the corner of the court for a winner, but the umpire called it out. I looked at him like he was crazy, because the ball landed well inside the line, but he insisted that it was out, so I have to go with his call. So now it was 15-15 instead of 30-0. Then I won the next 2 points, giving myself break points (should have been my game, I'm not bitter or anything [sarcasm]) But I managed to lose those points after a missed return and a winner, and then I lost the game. So that was my only opportunity to break her. We both manage to hold serve the rest of the set, but seeing I was down a break I lost the set 6-4. Still I walked away from the match feeling like I was hitting well, moving well, thinking (most important), and competed up until the very end. The worst part about that match was that it was on my birthday, so that kind of dampened the mood a little bit.

But the next day I signed up for lucky loser and it turned out that one girl had to withdraw so I was able to take her spot in the draw. Lucky for me it was against the 1st seed Coin from France. She was a former college player at Clemson and she has played in a bunch of Grand Slams, so she has some experience playing in the big leagues. At the start of the match, I didn't know what to expect except for seeing her on the practice court that we shared the day before. Other then that, not much. But at the start I found myself in hole. She won her service game easily, with the help of 2 aces. Then she broke me the next game, so I was down 2-0. I managed to break her back after she missed a few first serves, and I was able to attack her second serve. So back on serve now, and I'm feeling a bit better now because we are even. So throughout the set I'm serving well, mixing up the spins and placement. Serving and volleying even on second serves. We both were holding serve until I got broken at 5-6. I still was coming in, and attacking as best I could from the baseline. But I made a few mistakes when I was serving and volleying. She managed to get a couple returns right at my feet and I couldn't do anything with the ball. One went into the net, and another I popped it up, short and she put it away. I managed to save 2 set points, one with an ace, the other with a well set up point with me hitting a drive forehand down the line and following that in to the net and putting the high floating ball away with a forehand volley cross court. But the 3rd set point she hit a deep return to my forehand side and then put the next ball away down the line, out of my reach. It was a good set again, just a point here and there was what it came down to. Then in the second set my goal was to continue to pressure her, keep mixing up the serves and take time away from her, by coming in or taking the ball early and on the rise.  Well I was doing that and found myself up a break early. But again she came back and broke me. I was up 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, now down 2-3. Held 3-3. She held 3-4. Then I got broken. It wasn't the greatest game. The first point I completely botched a half volley. It didn't even come close to going over the net. But the next points were played well, she just hit some good passing shots because I didn't really stick my volleys in the court and away from her. They were where I wanted them to go, just they sat up and she was able to get to it and put it away. I thought after the match maybe I could have hit shorter volleys to make her move into the court instead of along the baseline which she was good at (moving side to side) but I wish I thought that sooner! But she then held to serve out the match, and that was that. Again, I was pleased with my performance. I challenged her the whole match, keeping the pressure on, but a few mistakes by me proved costly.

Both matches that I lost I thought I played well. I felt good out there. So I can only get better for the next one. I just need to improve my play on the big points and maybe the results will be different. But now I'm off to Bron, France, which is somewhere in the Southeastern part of France near Lyon. So hopefully next week will be better!!

Oh and here are a few pictures I took of the facility and the town!



Center Court Stands

The indoor courts

Macon, France

Thought this was pretty with the reflection

The tournament gave me a bottle of wine for my birthday! Good thing I'm of age, but too bad I don't drink!

Travel to France

First off I just have to say that I'm writing this from my phone, so if things are misspelled or it doesn't make sense I am sorry. The hotel internet isn't working from my computer so I'm making good on my promise that I would write more! So yesterday I headed from the Netherlands down to Paris to meet up with Kirsten and her mother. I took a train from Rotterdam straight to Paris. It was only a two and a half hour train ride, so it wasn't bad at all. In Europe it is so easy to go from one place to another by train. It's great. But I almost missed my train from Rotterdam because of all the traffic on the highway. We left about 2 hours before the train was scheduled to depart but got there with 15 minutes to spare even though the trip should have only been a little over an hour. I was pretty nervous I must say. My stomach was slowly tieing itself into a knot after every off ramp led to more bumper to bumper traffic. However I made it so I was worrying for nothing. Well then I got to the Paris Nord train station and I get in line to ask the information desk how to get to the hotel we were staying at, and as I'm standing there a girl comes up to me and asks if I want to help the orphanes. So I like helping people so I say sure. She says I just have to sign the paper in her hands and write where I'm from. No big deal. I signed it then she looks at me and says you need to pay. I thought well ok thinking I'll just give her a couple euros. So I reach in my bag and hand her a handful of change. She looks at it then tells me it's a 10 euro minimum. I look at her in surprise thinking well you didn't say there was a minimum. But I told her that is all I'm giving. And she got into an attitude telling me I need to pay. Usually when this happens I cave and give the person what they want but I told her no and looked the other way. Then she asks the lady behind me and tells her it's a 5 euro minimum. So after hearing that I was glad I didnt give her more money. Orphanes! Yeah right. But she tricked me with her official looking paper... Once I figured out where to go I headed down into the creepy, small, cavernous tunnels of the Metro station, walking up and down flights of stairs with a large suitcase, tennis bag, and a backpack (and i think this is why i havent seen any over weight people here, because of the amount of stairs there are in the train stations. No escalators anywhere!)So i got on the train I needed. But here the subway doors close and open so fast they only give you about 10 seconds to get on no matter how busy and crowded. So I manage to pull my luggage into the train when out of the corner of my eye I see a man charging for the train. He manages to run into the tennis bag on my back like Ray Lewis trying to tackle Tom Brady and pushes me forward to a point where I lose my balance and fall over my suitcase in front of me and onto the laps of two women. I look back at him like what the heck dude and he just holds up his hands saying he was sorry. Well I felt more sorry for the women who had 150 pounds just drop on them. I was a bit embarrassed but I tried really hard to keep my laughter in because the look on one of the woman's face was priceless, and the other had a big smirk on her face like me. But that's what happens when you travel on a crowded train with luggage. Something is bound to happen besides everyone violating my person space. But I finally got to the hotel with no further problems. Then Kirsten and I headed out to go hit in some indoor courts that her friend booked us. Little did we know that 'indoor' doesn't nessaarily mean 'indoor'. They were 2 courts in a park with just a roof over it. It had no walls just the open air and views of the surrounding park and buildings. When I think of indoor I think of a roof, four walls, and an entrance and exit. But I didn't mind because a court is a court. It was cold but fun nonetheless. Then after we hit we went to and saw a couple of famous places like Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Effiel Tower in the distance. So overall it was an exciting day, an experience well worth it.

Hello from the Netherlands

Hey everyone! I haven't written in forever, and I apologize for that. I WILL do my best this year to write more often. I promise!

It has been an excited year so far. I packed up my bags and moved to the Netherlands. I started working with Michel Lentjes, a coach who I have known for many years since playing at the Evert Tennis Academy 10 years ago. I am staying with him and his family as well as another player, a junior, Justin Roberts who is from the Bahamas.

I came over here the first week of the year and once I landed my first thought was I wish I packed more warm weather clothing. I think I’ve seen the sun about 5 times in a month and a half. It is a big change from training in Florida! It’s 75 degrees there compared to 20 here. Outdoor tennis to indoor tennis. English (well spanglish in Florida) to Dutch. All things I need to get used to but I’m fine with. I grew up in Massachusetts so I’m definitely used to the cold weather, I enjoy playing indoor tennis (it suits my game), but Dutch however poses a challenge, I know nothing of it. I do have a New Year’s resolution to learn a new language (it’s been ongoing for some years now) so why not try to learn Dutch, I’m here and I can learn firsthand and not from some book or CD.

But anyway so far things have been great. I’ve been practicing hard and the results have already shown. Last month I went to Coimbra, Portugal to play in two 10ks and in the first tournament I made it to the finals losing 7-5 6-1. It was a great way to start the year. However, I was a bit bummed because I hurt my foot in the quarterfinals and by the finals I couldn’t push off to run shots down so I couldn’t give it my best effort. Then I gave myself a day off before the next tournament to see if it would help reduce the pain but it didn’t. I tried to play but had to retire in my first round. It is always a tough decision to make but it was the start of the year and I didn’t want a repeat of last year where I was out most of the year, so I think I made a good choice.

Since then I’ve just been here in the Netherlands practicing and working out. My foot is pretty much healed so I’m happy about that. My upcoming tournaments are next week in Macon and Bron, France. Two friends of mine are playing in the tournaments, two former college players I might add, Kirsten Flower (GA Tech & Ohio State) and Rosalia Alda (Tennessee). It’s nice having people I know around and people who speak English. It makes it easier when looking to play doubles and warming up before matches. You don’t have to use over the top hand gestures and speak loud and slowly.. WOULD… YOU… LIKE… TO… HIT… TO… MOR… ROW? (for this reason I need to learn a language, multiple ones for that matter, or tennis players should just create their own.) But anyway I’m excited to get back to playing and hopefully build on the confidence I got while in Portugal. I hope to have some good practices this week, and then head down to France on Thursday. It should be fun. I’ll keep you guys posted.

P.S. If anyone reads this and wants to know something about the sport, travel, etc just ask. Yes, I am not at the highest level of the sport (yet) but I’ll answer if you have any questions. J