Alkmaar:
In the singles tournament I played a Dutch girl Podda first round. I won 6-1,6-1. I’ve seen her play before and she is a grinder, gets a lot of balls back and doesn’t miss much. But when I played her it was windy and she made a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes. However, I was up 5-0 and had a few match points that I couldn’t convert and at 5-1 I had even more that I couldn’t get until what I was told by the umpire was the 11th match point. The last two games were 35 minutes. Crazy. I was just glad I managed to win two points in a row finally. It wasn’t like I was nervous or anything. She made me play and I went for it a little too much, and she played those points well. I remember I double faulted on one, but of the others she passed me at the net, another couple she hit winners, and the rest were misses by me. No big deal.
In the singles tournament I played a Dutch girl Podda first round. I won 6-1,6-1. I’ve seen her play before and she is a grinder, gets a lot of balls back and doesn’t miss much. But when I played her it was windy and she made a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes. However, I was up 5-0 and had a few match points that I couldn’t convert and at 5-1 I had even more that I couldn’t get until what I was told by the umpire was the 11th match point. The last two games were 35 minutes. Crazy. I was just glad I managed to win two points in a row finally. It wasn’t like I was nervous or anything. She made me play and I went for it a little too much, and she played those points well. I remember I double faulted on one, but of the others she passed me at the net, another couple she hit winners, and the rest were misses by me. No big deal.
Second round I was up against Burger, the player I lost to
in the second round of the previous tournament in Meppel. Before the match I
was confident in my game plan, hitting to her forehand and be aggressive by looking
to get to the net. My game plan was exceeding my expectations early in the
first set when I found myself up 4-2 and break chances. On my last break point
opportunity I hit a slice backhand return deep up the middle and followed it
into the net. Then she hits a normal (not easy, not difficult) shot to my
backhand side and I manage to miss the volley deep passed the baseline. A
volley I can hit with my eyes closed ‘most’ of the time. After that point I cracked
mentally and she wins the next two points for the game and eventually the set.
I think in the second set I started to continue to replay that point in my
mind, which isn’t good, and lost sight of the present and what I needed to do
in the second set. She also changed up her tactics again, by hitting a lot more
to my backhand side. As the match wore on I was hitting less and less forehands
and feeling less comfortable on the court. But it was over soon, I lost the
second 6-3. And that was that.
But we won the doubles so that put a smile on my face. It’s
always good to win something! This was the fourth tournament Elyne and I have
played together and our second win. So not too bad. Hopefully more in the
future.
Breda:
Last week was a 10k in Breda, Netherlands, which is located about 15 minutes north of the Belgium border. A very nice looking town, friendly people, and nice tennis facility. I also got to house with a Dutch family who lived only a short 5 minute bike ride away from the tennis courts. And after the day of tennis was complete I got to tour the city with my own personal tour guide, had a cup of tea in the market square, and even played a few rounds of golf. It made for a very enjoyable week.
Last week was a 10k in Breda, Netherlands, which is located about 15 minutes north of the Belgium border. A very nice looking town, friendly people, and nice tennis facility. I also got to house with a Dutch family who lived only a short 5 minute bike ride away from the tennis courts. And after the day of tennis was complete I got to tour the city with my own personal tour guide, had a cup of tea in the market square, and even played a few rounds of golf. It made for a very enjoyable week.
But back to tennis. I had to qualify for this tournament and
won my first two matches 6-0,6-0 and 6-3,6-0 against two Belgian girls. In the
main draw, first round I played against a French girl Pons and won
6-7(4),6-2,6-0. I was up a break in the first set 5-4 and served for the set
but got broken, then we each held to force a tiebreaker which she played well
and won. But I battled back and took the next two sets and the match. A good
comeback for a win is always nice.
Second round I played a Dutch girl Burgmans. She was a big
lefty and had a monster serve. I managed to win 6-2,7-6(3). Playing a player
like her I knew I needed to hold serve and just try to win one return game. But
I played the match smart. She return from standing right on the baseline, I
knew it would be difficult to ace her, and she was a big girl so it would be
difficult for her to get out of her own way, so I served body serves most of
the time, and I worked rather well. After a while I would try to play a serve
to her forehand or backhand but not straying too far away from the body serve.
I managed to break her twice in the first set, one was just a poorly played
game by her, she missed 4 shots quick into the points, the other, a multiple deuce
game that I just manage to get the ball in the court more times than her. But
in the second set I was down a break early (definitely not a spot I wanted to
be in) but I managed to break her later on in the set. Then she needed hold to
the stay in the match at 5-4 and she sure did. She aced me twice, hit a winner,
and I missed a return. Then we each held until the tiebreaker. The tiebreaker
was even at 3-3 until I won the next 4 points to take the match. It was a good
win, didn’t get into much of a rhythm but oh well I’ll take the win over that
any day.
In the quarterfinals I played another Dutch girl Van Der
Meet. And again a tall girl, with a big serve and even bigger forehand. The
start of the match it was drizzling the whole time so her shots didn’t have
much on it. But the first game of the match she served and hit four forehand
winners. I’m thinking oh dear! Just hope she can’t keep that up. But to my luck
she didn’t. I won the next five games to go up 5-1 until she held and then I held
to take the set 6-2. Then in the second set after she came back from what
seemed to be an eternity of a bathroom break, it stopped raining, the sun came
out and it got hot. Not the best combinations when playing a player who hits it
big. I got broken in my opening service game and went down 3-0 quickly and
couldn’t get the break back. I lost the second set 6-3. In the third set I wanted
to just focus on holding serve and try to break her. But easier said than done.
I got broken twice and found myself down 5-2. Then I finally managed to break
her serve by just getting the return back and she tried to win the point on one
shot but it didn’t work like it had in the previous games. Then I held to keep
the pressure on, but she served a big game up 5-4 to win the match. I felt like
she just outplayed me. The closeness of the score lies. First set I was in
control, but the second and third sets were hers so she deserved to win. I was
bummed I lost, but to lose against a player that hit a lot of aces and winners
there is nothing you can do about it.
It was a good tournament, to make it through qualifying and
into the quarters it’s pretty good. As the saying goes “eyes on the forest, not
on the trees,” Time to look at the big picture more, instead of seeing just a
loss. So I’m happy with that tournament. Now I head west to Middelburg,
Netherlands where I will play in the 25k. I’m in qualifying so I should start
Sunday or Monday. Hopefully I continue to play well and get some more
confidence. Let you know how it goes.
And I'll try to upload some pictures of the places later in the week!
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