It is Friday now and the activity at the club is slowing down. It is now the semifinals or finals of many of the age groups and alot of players (who are no longer playing) have gone home or have left to sightsee around the island. It seems so quiet around the club!!! Nevertheless, there are some great matches to be played today. The men's draws were larger than the women's draws so most of them are still in the quarterfinals or semifinals. There were many awesome matches played in all of the age groups, some upsets and some predictable results.
Myke and I were just enjoying the matches and getting ready to play the finals of our doubles later this afternoon. I warmed up well with Danny Walden, who played in the men's 50's age group and also had a very tough doubles match to play today. They won their doubles and he gave me the credit for such a great warm up!!! HA!! HA!!
We were finally called to play our match and we were psyched.!! We had played great against the Aussies and we felt ready. We had our strategy planned and it was a matter of who would execute the best today. We knew that Mary would be the aggressive player and Fran the super, super consistent player. We played extremely close in the first set, with some service breaks. We were neck and neck and finally had to play a tiebreaker in the first set. They played consistent and moved great and we got down early 3-0. We managed to get back into it some, but we came up short and lost it 7-4.
We started very strong in the 2nd set, we were up 2-0 and 40 love. Somehow we lost that game and the momentum shifted!! They just played flawless!! We tried everything, and they had the answer to everything we threw at them and we ended up losing the second set 6-2. They are well deserving of this World Title because they played great!! I am very proud of my US teammates and if I was to choose losing to anyone, I am happy that it was them!!! Congratulations Mary and Fran for a job well done!!
Well the competition is over now and I am exhausted!! That was a very grueling 2 1/2 weeks of tennis!! I can honestly say that if it had not been for my wonderful trainer, Rob ("The one and only Rob!!), I would not have lasted through these 2 1/2 weeks of grueling tennis. He has worked with me very hard to get ready for this and I thank him everyday!! (sometimes I curse at him during workouts, but it is only out of love!!!!) . I am very, very, happy that I can now relax and just watch some great tennis!! Sangrias and Mojitos here we come!!!!
This has been an incredible experience. All my experiences playing Internationally (Cup Team and Individual tournaments) have been different and fantastic. This was one of my favorites, the location was great (spectacular), the tournament was run very well, and the competition was fantastic. I am very proud of my accomplishments here. I played with focus and determination and never gave up, no matter what the score was. For this I am very happy and satisfied.
The trip back will be long and I will miss the quiet and beautiful island of Mallorca, Spain but I will come back!!!! I will leave Sunday morning to Barcelona and sightsee for a couple of days, planning to see the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and other beautiful areas of Barcelona.
Hasta Luego amigos!!!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
THURSDAY AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
It is now Thursday and I will be on the court again playing in the Semifinals of the Singles against a French woman. I did get some information about her game from 2 of the American ladies, Myke and Tracy, who played her and both lost to her in straight sets. They said that her backhand was excellent and could drop or hit it well from that side. They simply said she was deceivingly good!!! Nothing special but she did not miss much and used the court extremely well!!
We played at 9 am and again I was hoping that of all days, I would play later in the day, so that I would have a little more time to recover from yesterday's long day on the court (5-6 hours). We had an umpire on the court which is always a good thing in case of questionable calls etc. W
We started the match on time and I started well with a hold in the first game. I really thought that I would be more consistent than her and that I would wear her out with my deep moonballs and long points. But she immediately started to use her slice and drop shots very effectively from the second game on. She had watched my match yesterday so she knew what my patterns and tendencies were and it was obvious in the remainder of the set, which I lost 6-2. She dropped me, moonballed me, used alot of angles on her forehand, and also attacked me. She used the entire court very well and did not allow me to get very comfortable. The first 3 games of the second set were just like the last set, uncomfortable and frustrating for me. So I decided to change my strategy a bit and from the beginning of the 4th game second set, I focused on hitting more to her forehand (her backhand was just killing me!!) and only hit to her backhand when the court was open. This worked and before I knew it, she startedt to miss, got a little winded (I made her hit alot of shots, of course!!) and before I knew it I had was back into the match and I won the 2nd set 6-3!! I was psyched!! I felt that I had the upper hand and that she was getting tired!! Well due to the dry court conditions, they swept and watered the courts and this took about 20 minutes!! Just enough time to get her second wind!! I truly felt that if it had been only a 10 minute break, it would have worked to my advantage. We started the 3rd set and I was leading in the first 4 games 40-love!! I only managed to win 2 of them!! She got her second wind, played flawless and unfortunately I came up a bit short!! I lost the match and was very disappointed because I truly felt that I should have won that match!! Well the one thing good about losing a match is that you can always learn from it. I learned that I must develop a drop shot and use my net game to finish off points. This I will work on and will use it in future matches. For now, I am going to rest and get ready to play the finals of the doubles tomorrow. We have a tough match against our USA friends, Mary and Fran and it should be a very close match!!
Well off we go sightseeing!! Win or lose, life goes on and we will enjoy our time in Mallorca. I am exhausted but how often do you get to visit such a beautiful place????? We are going to drive through the mountains today and visit Valdemossa. The sights are supposed to be spectacular!!
We played at 9 am and again I was hoping that of all days, I would play later in the day, so that I would have a little more time to recover from yesterday's long day on the court (5-6 hours). We had an umpire on the court which is always a good thing in case of questionable calls etc. W
We started the match on time and I started well with a hold in the first game. I really thought that I would be more consistent than her and that I would wear her out with my deep moonballs and long points. But she immediately started to use her slice and drop shots very effectively from the second game on. She had watched my match yesterday so she knew what my patterns and tendencies were and it was obvious in the remainder of the set, which I lost 6-2. She dropped me, moonballed me, used alot of angles on her forehand, and also attacked me. She used the entire court very well and did not allow me to get very comfortable. The first 3 games of the second set were just like the last set, uncomfortable and frustrating for me. So I decided to change my strategy a bit and from the beginning of the 4th game second set, I focused on hitting more to her forehand (her backhand was just killing me!!) and only hit to her backhand when the court was open. This worked and before I knew it, she startedt to miss, got a little winded (I made her hit alot of shots, of course!!) and before I knew it I had was back into the match and I won the 2nd set 6-3!! I was psyched!! I felt that I had the upper hand and that she was getting tired!! Well due to the dry court conditions, they swept and watered the courts and this took about 20 minutes!! Just enough time to get her second wind!! I truly felt that if it had been only a 10 minute break, it would have worked to my advantage. We started the 3rd set and I was leading in the first 4 games 40-love!! I only managed to win 2 of them!! She got her second wind, played flawless and unfortunately I came up a bit short!! I lost the match and was very disappointed because I truly felt that I should have won that match!! Well the one thing good about losing a match is that you can always learn from it. I learned that I must develop a drop shot and use my net game to finish off points. This I will work on and will use it in future matches. For now, I am going to rest and get ready to play the finals of the doubles tomorrow. We have a tough match against our USA friends, Mary and Fran and it should be a very close match!!
Well off we go sightseeing!! Win or lose, life goes on and we will enjoy our time in Mallorca. I am exhausted but how often do you get to visit such a beautiful place????? We are going to drive through the mountains today and visit Valdemossa. The sights are supposed to be spectacular!!
WEDNESDAY AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Today I am playing in the quarter finals of the World Championships. I made it past 2 excellent players and put in alot of legwork!!! Points on the red clay just last forever!! Very difficult to close out points. One thing I have learned this past several weeks is the importance of the famous DROP SHOT!! It is one of the most frequently used shots on the red clay and the Europeans just love to use it!! They have mastered it! And from watching the matches these past weeks, the Americans don't like use it enough and hate to be dropped!!!
I play at 12:00 today so I warmed up early this am, had a nice breakfast, stretched, and watched some of the early morning matches. I play a very tough opponent from Portugal (their #1 player). Again, I don't know much about her. She was tall and strong and very athletic looking.
We warmed up I noticed that she had a heavy topspin forehand and a wicked one handed backhand slice. Her topspin backhand was erratic. Good serve and a very good net game.
We started the match and again (typical red clay) the points were long and grueling. She did not miss much and her heavy topspin forehand kept me pinned to the baseline. She used her slice and drop shots well, so I sometimes felt like a yo-yo. I managed to win the first set 6-4, but it was not easy!! The first set last 1 1/2 hours!! On to the second set and again, long points, long set!! I was always leading in the set, but she kept fighting back and her Portugal friends were loud and very distracting on every point!!! I finally had to say something because they were at the point of rude and unsportsmanlike!! I won the 2nd set in a very close tiebreak. Finally the match was over, we hugged at the end of the match and spoke for a while and her friends were actually very funny and nice after the match. The match ended and 3:30 pm and I was tired!! I had 1 hour and had to be ready lto play the doubles semi finals against the Australians and the #2 seeds.
I got something to eat quickly, drank a protein shake, showered, stretched and off to the courts I went for the quarter finals of the doubles. I knew our opponents because I played doubles against them with Mary Dailey during our Team competition. We barely one 7-6 in the third, so I knew they were going to be tough. Myke and I won the doubles last year and we play well together. We planned out our strategy, hit to the weaker player and play aggressive!!.
I actually felt pretty good, a bit tired but I was pumped up to play the doubles. It was the semifinals of the World's so being tired was not something I was going to think about!!! We played great, winning the first set 6-3 and the second 6-4. We were in the Finals of the doubles and we are to play the #1 seeds and our American friends, Mary Daily and Fran Chandler.
I was a little disappointed because the schedule for the 45's did not give us a day off (I have played everyday now, with no break) !! I was to play the semis of singles tomorrow (Thursday), Friday would be the day off, and the Finals on Saturday. I really could use the day off tomorrow!!!
I play at 12:00 today so I warmed up early this am, had a nice breakfast, stretched, and watched some of the early morning matches. I play a very tough opponent from Portugal (their #1 player). Again, I don't know much about her. She was tall and strong and very athletic looking.
We warmed up I noticed that she had a heavy topspin forehand and a wicked one handed backhand slice. Her topspin backhand was erratic. Good serve and a very good net game.
We started the match and again (typical red clay) the points were long and grueling. She did not miss much and her heavy topspin forehand kept me pinned to the baseline. She used her slice and drop shots well, so I sometimes felt like a yo-yo. I managed to win the first set 6-4, but it was not easy!! The first set last 1 1/2 hours!! On to the second set and again, long points, long set!! I was always leading in the set, but she kept fighting back and her Portugal friends were loud and very distracting on every point!!! I finally had to say something because they were at the point of rude and unsportsmanlike!! I won the 2nd set in a very close tiebreak. Finally the match was over, we hugged at the end of the match and spoke for a while and her friends were actually very funny and nice after the match. The match ended and 3:30 pm and I was tired!! I had 1 hour and had to be ready lto play the doubles semi finals against the Australians and the #2 seeds.
I got something to eat quickly, drank a protein shake, showered, stretched and off to the courts I went for the quarter finals of the doubles. I knew our opponents because I played doubles against them with Mary Dailey during our Team competition. We barely one 7-6 in the third, so I knew they were going to be tough. Myke and I won the doubles last year and we play well together. We planned out our strategy, hit to the weaker player and play aggressive!!.
I actually felt pretty good, a bit tired but I was pumped up to play the doubles. It was the semifinals of the World's so being tired was not something I was going to think about!!! We played great, winning the first set 6-3 and the second 6-4. We were in the Finals of the doubles and we are to play the #1 seeds and our American friends, Mary Daily and Fran Chandler.
I was a little disappointed because the schedule for the 45's did not give us a day off (I have played everyday now, with no break) !! I was to play the semis of singles tomorrow (Thursday), Friday would be the day off, and the Finals on Saturday. I really could use the day off tomorrow!!!
Friday, May 15, 2009
TUESDAY AT THE WORLD INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MALLORCA SPAIN
It is now Tuesday and I play later this afternoon at another club near the Hotel. There are so many great matches being played today. I won't get to see many of them since I play in the middle of the day. I warmed up early this am, only time to warm up is at 7:30 am or 8 am. Too early for me, but don't have a choice!!
I knew my opponent, but did not really know much about her game. I only remembered that she was a strong person, big serve and big forehand and a solid slice backhand. I began my warm up with her and noticed that she had alot of game, but not consistent so I immediately capitalized on that. I keep the balls deep and played consistent, very normal for me!! The first set was very tight, alot of solid play by her. She served well and played well at the net, put alot of pressure on me early on. I hung in there and after 3-3 I managed to play steady and frustrated her. I ended the set 6-3. I started the second set with some confidence and noticed that she was getting anxious and frustrated. I did hit a few lines a couple of time each game, which frustrated her. I won the second set 6-0. It was closer that the score indicated. Long points and long games, I just happened to win the key points! I am finished with singles and will play the doubles today vs. two Spanish girls. We should be fine, both girls lost early in the singles and did not seem to be strong players.
We played our doubles match early in the afternoon and won easily. Off to sightsee tonight with Egan and Danny!! We rented a car so we could go to other parts of the island and sightsee. There are alot of beautiful places on this island that we wanted to see!! We looked over the map and made the decision to go up to Formenta. High up in the mountain areas and then we would come back down toward the water and have dinner. It was a beautiful drive, I was the designated driver since neither Egan or Danny could drive a manual. I drove and drove and we finally reached the top. It was beautiful. See the pictures on the blog. We found a small town near the water and waited for the sun to set. What a beautiful sight. We ordered the Spanish traditional meal "Paella" and ate, talked about the great matches of the day, drank some wine and enjoyed the sunset. I will always remember tonight!! Tomorrow was going to be a long day for all of us. Tough matches all day!!
I knew my opponent, but did not really know much about her game. I only remembered that she was a strong person, big serve and big forehand and a solid slice backhand. I began my warm up with her and noticed that she had alot of game, but not consistent so I immediately capitalized on that. I keep the balls deep and played consistent, very normal for me!! The first set was very tight, alot of solid play by her. She served well and played well at the net, put alot of pressure on me early on. I hung in there and after 3-3 I managed to play steady and frustrated her. I ended the set 6-3. I started the second set with some confidence and noticed that she was getting anxious and frustrated. I did hit a few lines a couple of time each game, which frustrated her. I won the second set 6-0. It was closer that the score indicated. Long points and long games, I just happened to win the key points! I am finished with singles and will play the doubles today vs. two Spanish girls. We should be fine, both girls lost early in the singles and did not seem to be strong players.
We played our doubles match early in the afternoon and won easily. Off to sightsee tonight with Egan and Danny!! We rented a car so we could go to other parts of the island and sightsee. There are alot of beautiful places on this island that we wanted to see!! We looked over the map and made the decision to go up to Formenta. High up in the mountain areas and then we would come back down toward the water and have dinner. It was a beautiful drive, I was the designated driver since neither Egan or Danny could drive a manual. I drove and drove and we finally reached the top. It was beautiful. See the pictures on the blog. We found a small town near the water and waited for the sun to set. What a beautiful sight. We ordered the Spanish traditional meal "Paella" and ate, talked about the great matches of the day, drank some wine and enjoyed the sunset. I will always remember tonight!! Tomorrow was going to be a long day for all of us. Tough matches all day!!
MONDAY- FIRST DAY OF WORLD INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION
Good morning everyone. It is now time for the Individual competition. There are alot of great players competing this week her in Mallorca. Many flew in from all over the world just to get a chance to win the World Championships. The location is great and the tennis will be fantastic. I ran into several of my US friends, who I did not see during the team event, since they were playing in different locations throughout the island. Some actually came just for the individual event. Great to see them here!! Danny Waldman and Egan Adams are friends and sightseeing friends from Turkey's Individual tournament from 3 years ago. Danny won the men's 50 singles that year. He is an awesome player. Egan went to Pepperdine (like I did) and is also an unbelievable player. They both have very tough draws!! Some of the other Americans had byes and had the day off. I did not get a bye, so I must play later this afternoon.
It is hard to play in the afternoon, because you sit around all day and it get's very tiring, but nevertheless, I had to get mentally prepared to play this unknown German player, Gabriela. I found out (later) that her sister Sabine, was on tour and the favorite to win the 40's group. She also played the tour, but was not as good as her sister. In either case, I am glad I did not know this prior to our match!!
We started our warm up and I immediately knew that this match was going to be a battle. She had a very strong forehand and overall solid game. The German contingency were all watching and cheering for her. We started the match and every point was long. I was a bit nervous, being the first round match and knowing that I had to play my best tennis to beat this German!! I managed to win the first set 7-5 after going down 5-4. I played consistent and fought hard, my normal game, but most importantly, I played smart. I thought after winning the first I would loosen up and play more relaxed, but she played better and put the pressure on me. Needless to say, she got alot of coaching from her German friends and it was working!! I went down 2-5 in the second and was preparing myself for the 3rd set, when I decided to just play one point at a time and keep fighting. I continued with my game plan, MAKE HER WORK FOR EVERY SINGLE POINT, no matter what the score was. It worked, she got tired and I began to come back winning some points just from the length of them. I went down 6-5, pulled it back to 6-6 and finished it in a tiebreak (7-4). Wow, what a first day!! I knew the World's would be challenging, but now this early on in the first round. I got by a very, very tough opponent, and I was happy with my fight. Everyone came up to me and acknowleged that she was very good and that I just beat her with tenacity, good movement, and heart!!
Well on to the next day, past the first round and will relax tonight and prepare for tomorrow. I go up against the #1 player from the Swiss team. She is looking forward to playing me!!! We have been friends for 4 years and we always exchange gifts during the team competition. I have 2 of her warm ups!!! It is normal to exchange gifts and clothing with other countries!! Tomorrow we battle on the court!! SHe is putting on her game face!!!
It is hard to play in the afternoon, because you sit around all day and it get's very tiring, but nevertheless, I had to get mentally prepared to play this unknown German player, Gabriela. I found out (later) that her sister Sabine, was on tour and the favorite to win the 40's group. She also played the tour, but was not as good as her sister. In either case, I am glad I did not know this prior to our match!!
We started our warm up and I immediately knew that this match was going to be a battle. She had a very strong forehand and overall solid game. The German contingency were all watching and cheering for her. We started the match and every point was long. I was a bit nervous, being the first round match and knowing that I had to play my best tennis to beat this German!! I managed to win the first set 7-5 after going down 5-4. I played consistent and fought hard, my normal game, but most importantly, I played smart. I thought after winning the first I would loosen up and play more relaxed, but she played better and put the pressure on me. Needless to say, she got alot of coaching from her German friends and it was working!! I went down 2-5 in the second and was preparing myself for the 3rd set, when I decided to just play one point at a time and keep fighting. I continued with my game plan, MAKE HER WORK FOR EVERY SINGLE POINT, no matter what the score was. It worked, she got tired and I began to come back winning some points just from the length of them. I went down 6-5, pulled it back to 6-6 and finished it in a tiebreak (7-4). Wow, what a first day!! I knew the World's would be challenging, but now this early on in the first round. I got by a very, very tough opponent, and I was happy with my fight. Everyone came up to me and acknowleged that she was very good and that I just beat her with tenacity, good movement, and heart!!
Well on to the next day, past the first round and will relax tonight and prepare for tomorrow. I go up against the #1 player from the Swiss team. She is looking forward to playing me!!! We have been friends for 4 years and we always exchange gifts during the team competition. I have 2 of her warm ups!!! It is normal to exchange gifts and clothing with other countries!! Tomorrow we battle on the court!! SHe is putting on her game face!!!
SUNNDAY- TRAVEL DAY
Today is just a travel day for most players who are playing in the World Individual tournament. I went with Larry Turville, one of the Mens players from the 55's team. He rented a car and instead of the bus ride, I chose to drive with him. We stopped in a small Mallorca town, Caja Ratjaga near the Tournament site and we had a great lunch, listening to some spanish guitar players. Finally got to the hotel at Casa de Sa Cala and checked into my room. Practiced and then relaxed the rest of the evening. I play tomorrow vs. a German player. Don't know much about her, but I know that German's are always good players, especially on the red clay.
THE FINALS DAY!!!
So it is now Saturday and we are up and ready to go. We met up and had breakfast as we normally do. The coffee is great, the pastries are wonderful and the island is beautiful. Can't ask for a more beautiful and exciting place to compete for the Margaret Court World Team Cup!! We are psyched!! I was given the news that Fran was a bit tired and a little sore from yesterday's match vs. the French so she asked me if I am ready to play today vs. the Czechs. Of course I am ready, I have been training for months for this moment and I am ready to compete!! I am going agains the #2 player in the World and my Semifinalist opponent from last years Individual World Championships (who I beat 6-3, 7-6). She is a great player and I new that it would be a battle... We start at 10:30 am.
We travel to the courts by bus. It is a small club with 8 clay courts and a great little clubhouse with an amazing crew!! They work very hard on the courts and they did a fabulous job all week!
I warmed up for 30 minutes and was very disappointed because it was very, very windy!!! 25-30 mph. I do not like to play in the wind!! I don't think anyone does, but I had to put that out of my mind because I was playing today, with or witout wind!!!
My teammate Mary would be on the court with me today. She has alot of coaching experience, she coaches a Div 1 University in Florida so I knew she would be of alot of help if I needed it. Well we were finally underway at 10:30 am on the dot. We started the match and I did not know what hit me!! The first set went by fast!!! Between the wind and the flawless tennis Barbara played I had lost the 1st set in less than 30 minutes. She hit every line on the court, and used the wind and heavy topspin to completely destroy me!! I spoke to Mary on the changeovers and she just kept reminding me of how tough I am, that I moved better and how to use those strengths to get back into the match. She kept reminding me to keep my feet moving through all the shots because of the windy conditions I could not set up to hit the ball. She also reminded me that Barbara could go off mentally! So I kept these things in mind and started the 2nd set, not thinking about the first bageled set!! I took one point at a time, only focusing on movement and tactics. I started the second set and finally got the first game of the match, then I won the 2nd game, then the 3rd game. I began to move better, got my consistency and fight going and before you knew it, I was up 4-1 in the second. I finished the set strong, 6-2 and I was BACK into the match. I had her mentally now and I was not going to let go!!
We began the 3rd set after the courts were swept and watered (about 10 min break) and we battled in the 3rd. I continued the same tactics that had won me the second set and continued to focus on my movement and running everything down, making her hit that extra ball!! With the wind, you never know!! An easy shot (short overhead or easy volley) can become very difficult, especially under pressure. It proved to work and she made some easy mistakes on some key points. I went up 5-3 in the 3rd and thought I had it in the bag. Well, wrong thinking. She began to attack me and came back to win the next 2 games and now it was 5-5 in the 3rd. I finally pulled out the match 7-5 in the third with some great movement and smart play. I finally won the match and we were closer to winning the cup. Gretchen was up next playing a very good opponent. I think she was a bit tired and hurt but nevertheless a very strong opponent. Gretchen played great!! This was the best I had seen her play all week. She imposed her aggressive style of play immediatly and did not let her get into any kind of rhythm. This is her greatest assett, strong serves, volleys and aggressive play. She went right through her opponent in straight sets. We were the Margaret Court World Champions!! We brought back the CUP!! We left the courts with a big Grin on our faces!! We worked well as a team and defeated some great teams to bring home the CUP. We were to celebrate tonight and we did. We went to a small town called Valdemossa near the mountains of Mallorca and had a great Celebration dinner!! Off to the World Individuals Tournament on the other side of the Island tomorrow. Still alot of work to be done!!!
We travel to the courts by bus. It is a small club with 8 clay courts and a great little clubhouse with an amazing crew!! They work very hard on the courts and they did a fabulous job all week!
I warmed up for 30 minutes and was very disappointed because it was very, very windy!!! 25-30 mph. I do not like to play in the wind!! I don't think anyone does, but I had to put that out of my mind because I was playing today, with or witout wind!!!
My teammate Mary would be on the court with me today. She has alot of coaching experience, she coaches a Div 1 University in Florida so I knew she would be of alot of help if I needed it. Well we were finally underway at 10:30 am on the dot. We started the match and I did not know what hit me!! The first set went by fast!!! Between the wind and the flawless tennis Barbara played I had lost the 1st set in less than 30 minutes. She hit every line on the court, and used the wind and heavy topspin to completely destroy me!! I spoke to Mary on the changeovers and she just kept reminding me of how tough I am, that I moved better and how to use those strengths to get back into the match. She kept reminding me to keep my feet moving through all the shots because of the windy conditions I could not set up to hit the ball. She also reminded me that Barbara could go off mentally! So I kept these things in mind and started the 2nd set, not thinking about the first bageled set!! I took one point at a time, only focusing on movement and tactics. I started the second set and finally got the first game of the match, then I won the 2nd game, then the 3rd game. I began to move better, got my consistency and fight going and before you knew it, I was up 4-1 in the second. I finished the set strong, 6-2 and I was BACK into the match. I had her mentally now and I was not going to let go!!
We began the 3rd set after the courts were swept and watered (about 10 min break) and we battled in the 3rd. I continued the same tactics that had won me the second set and continued to focus on my movement and running everything down, making her hit that extra ball!! With the wind, you never know!! An easy shot (short overhead or easy volley) can become very difficult, especially under pressure. It proved to work and she made some easy mistakes on some key points. I went up 5-3 in the 3rd and thought I had it in the bag. Well, wrong thinking. She began to attack me and came back to win the next 2 games and now it was 5-5 in the 3rd. I finally pulled out the match 7-5 in the third with some great movement and smart play. I finally won the match and we were closer to winning the cup. Gretchen was up next playing a very good opponent. I think she was a bit tired and hurt but nevertheless a very strong opponent. Gretchen played great!! This was the best I had seen her play all week. She imposed her aggressive style of play immediatly and did not let her get into any kind of rhythm. This is her greatest assett, strong serves, volleys and aggressive play. She went right through her opponent in straight sets. We were the Margaret Court World Champions!! We brought back the CUP!! We left the courts with a big Grin on our faces!! We worked well as a team and defeated some great teams to bring home the CUP. We were to celebrate tonight and we did. We went to a small town called Valdemossa near the mountains of Mallorca and had a great Celebration dinner!! Off to the World Individuals Tournament on the other side of the Island tomorrow. Still alot of work to be done!!!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Well it's now Friday and we woke up with alot of rain!! Rain Rain rain and just waiting to see what happens. The forecast is not good, but they are going to try to get play underway if the weather improves. It is 1:30 pm here and it is finally brightening up now. We have been patiently waiting for 4 hours now and it is finally looking good. We play France today in the semifinals. I just heard that my grandbaby Payton is starting to pull and wants to walk!! Amazing how they grow up so quickly!!!
Just checked the weather forecast and it just started to rain again!!! Don't know if we will be playing today at all!! If not then we will go sightseeing!!!
It is now 2:30 pm and the tournament referee has updated the court situation. We will be playing at 4 pm!!! We play France today. A very tough match and very difficult for the players to play since we have been sitting around all day waiting to play. The courts will play very very slow so the points will be brutal.
We are finally at the courts and warming up. Fran will start us off at #2 and Gretchen will follow at #1 position. They said if we won the two singles, the doubles will not be played today due to the darkness. Fran finally got on the court and I was the coach. We talked about her opponents weakness and her tendencies and what she will need to do to win the most points today!! Fran played well and won the match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Gretchen (former WTA world ranking of 13th) was up next and she is playing an opponent who she played several years ago in Australia. She beat her easily on the Grass courts but today's match would be different (slow clay courts) and we know the French love the slow red clay!! Gretchen started slow in the first set. Very close games and great points, but won it 6-3. The second set proved to be even closer with Gretchen going down 5-3, but eventually raising her play and winning the set in a tiebreaker (7-6). We won the 2 singles and the doubles were not played. We are now in the finals of the Team event. We are to play last years winners and the #1 seeds, the Czechs!!! We feel good about our chances, since last year we lost by one set (final doubles set) and this year we have a stronger team!! The Czechs better watch out!! We are ready!!
It is now 9:30 pm, just got off the courts and we are exhausted. We went to dinner and went straight to bed to get our rest for tomorrow's finals!!
Just checked the weather forecast and it just started to rain again!!! Don't know if we will be playing today at all!! If not then we will go sightseeing!!!
It is now 2:30 pm and the tournament referee has updated the court situation. We will be playing at 4 pm!!! We play France today. A very tough match and very difficult for the players to play since we have been sitting around all day waiting to play. The courts will play very very slow so the points will be brutal.
We are finally at the courts and warming up. Fran will start us off at #2 and Gretchen will follow at #1 position. They said if we won the two singles, the doubles will not be played today due to the darkness. Fran finally got on the court and I was the coach. We talked about her opponents weakness and her tendencies and what she will need to do to win the most points today!! Fran played well and won the match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Gretchen (former WTA world ranking of 13th) was up next and she is playing an opponent who she played several years ago in Australia. She beat her easily on the Grass courts but today's match would be different (slow clay courts) and we know the French love the slow red clay!! Gretchen started slow in the first set. Very close games and great points, but won it 6-3. The second set proved to be even closer with Gretchen going down 5-3, but eventually raising her play and winning the set in a tiebreaker (7-6). We won the 2 singles and the doubles were not played. We are now in the finals of the Team event. We are to play last years winners and the #1 seeds, the Czechs!!! We feel good about our chances, since last year we lost by one set (final doubles set) and this year we have a stronger team!! The Czechs better watch out!! We are ready!!
It is now 9:30 pm, just got off the courts and we are exhausted. We went to dinner and went straight to bed to get our rest for tomorrow's finals!!
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