MARIANA'S TENNIS BLOG

WORLD INDIVIDUALS- SAN LUIS POTOSI- WEDNESDAY

2010-04-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

My doubles partner, Mary Beth and I are getting ready to play the semis of the doubles. We are playing to very young and strong 35 yr. olds. Remember I am 12 years their senior. How dare do they hit that ball at me that hard????? Well they tried to win that way but it did not work. I came to the net often and did alot of poaching, I-formation, spin serves, serve and volley and they got very confused. We won it in 3 sets after being down 3-1 in the third set. I feel great about our victory!!! We are now in the finals of the Worlds!!!

WORLD INDIVIDUAL- SAN LUIS POTOSI

2010-04-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

We arrived in San Luis Potosi on Sunday, just in time for the opening ceremonies. The ceremonies were fantastic, great food, and good entertainment. There are many diffierent countries represented here, from Japan, Germany, Argentina, Spain, Belgium, South Africa, Puerto Rico, etc. It was great to see my old foreign friends again. The draws have been made and play begins on Monday. I am seeded 3 but the entire draw is full of great players. Some that just aged up to the 45's!!
Monday: I have a bye so we just trained in the morning and in the afternoon. I hit with my Belgium friend and former 5 time world champion in the morning for warm up. The courts we are on are painted asphalt!! Unbelievably difficult to play on.
Tuesday: I play a girl from Finland today. I won easily and will play in the quarters against the big Lefty from Ireland. I wrote about her earlier during the team competition. She has one of the biggest serves in the 45's !!!
Wednesday: I played in the quarters this am and won the first set. I struggled alot during the set. There were heavy winds and my opponents shots were very hard and difficult to get back. Especially in the wind!!! Her big groundstrokes kept me back and i could not dictate well. She won the second in a very tight set. I really thought I had her in the third set but she came on very strong, only double faulting a few times and hitting her serves very well. I had many break points but with the big lefty serve she found a way to get back to deuces. I ended up losing in 6-3 in the third. I was disappointed but realized later that the court conditions favored her game very well and did not help mine at all!!!! In any case I am playing doubles soon and don't want to sbe negative.

SATURDAY- WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

2010-04-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

We played the finals today and we won the Team World Championships!!! It was and awesome match. We played the French Team, who we played last year in the semis and was also a battle. Fran played first and she played great. Won easily, but the match was more difficult than the score indicated. Gretchen played second and she also played a very tough opponent. The match ups were exactly the same as last year. Gretchen's match was a battle. She was down 5-1 in the first set and came back to win it in a tiebreaker. She lost the second and in the third set at 2-1 on serve, her opponent pulled a calf muscle and had to default the singles!!! Unbelievable, but the court conditions here in Mexico really took a toll on the players this year. We were all very sore after every match. In any case, we were the World Champs once again!!! We worked well as a team and it paid off!!!! USA is the 2010 Margaret Court Champions again. Travel day tomorrow. A 6 hour bus ride to San Luis Potosi, for the World Individual Championships!!!

FRIDAY- MEXICO CITY

2010-04-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

It's Friday now and I can't believe I have been here a week already!! We play Great Britain in the Semis today, a very tough team. I am playing singles today and will play a player I played last year in Mallorca, Spain on the dirt. It will be a different match today, because these courts are lighting fast and it suits her game very very well. She uses a tremendous amount of slice and has a big lefty serve. I got down early in the first set 5-1. I just could not get my timing or any rhythm but kept fighting to get it to 5-4. Long game with multiple deuces and ads but I eventually lost the set 6-4. I started strong in the second set breaking her the first game then holding. I got up 4-2 and thought I was playing better. But on these courts it is so easy to lose focus confidence because someone can just hit some big shots and before you know it they are back in the match. Unfortunately, that happened to me. I did not serve well and she took advantage of it and before I knew it I was down 5-4!! I ended up losing 6-4. I fought hard, but she just had more effective shots on this surface than I did today!!
Gretchen was up next and she also struggled, but won 6-4, 7-6. She also felt like I did, frustrated. It was going down to the doubles so our most experienced doubles team of Gretchen and Renata played the deciding match. They played really well and won. We are in the Finals!!! Again!!! Going for the Gold and the CUP. We play France tomorrow!!! Same team we beat last year in the semifinals!!! But again, the courts and conditions are a challenge so we are expecting a very tough battle!!!!! Going to bed, tired!!!!

THURSDAY- MEXICO CITY

2010-04-02T23:04:00.000-07:00

Have the day off today, but still got up early to practice this morning before we go to the Pyramids. I set up a tour with 9 of us, 50's ladies USA team and 3 South African team members. We were really excited about the trip. We had heard from some others that is was a really cool thing to see. The pyramids are located about 60 km from Mexico City. As we traveled the highway of Mexico City, the sights were quite interesting and sad. On the mountainside were small homes made of cement, very small, (called Cerras). Most of them did not have electricity, running water, or toilets. This is why in Mexico you really have to be careful about what you eat on the streets. This very poor people come down from the mountains and try to find work in Mexico City. Any type of work!!! We see alot of very poor families on the streets selling food, merchandise, things they made etc.
We first went to the Church of Guadalupe, a very sacred and well know church in Mexico City, where the Virgin Mary (Guadalupe) has made one of a few miracle appearances around the world and where John Paul II has visited on many occasions. We saw very interesting sights including the actual cloth where the Virgin Mary appeared on a very poor man, people crawling on their knees as a gesture of thanks to the Virgin Mary for improving their health etc.
We next visited the Pyramids. I was really excited about this because I have always found pyramids extremely interesting. When we arrived I was amazed at the vastness of it. The tour guide gave us the history and then we proceeded to walk up one of them (there were two pyramids, sun and moon). We went up first group of steps, I could not believe how tiring it was!! (and I thought I was in good shape!!!) It amazed me that there were so many families with small children there and they were going up it too!!! The steps were steep and we had to go up slow. We all made it to the top and proceeded to take alot of pictures because the sight was incredible!!! The trip was great and I was very happy to have done it. I will post the pictures tomorrow, I am tired and need to get to bed!! We have a big day tomorrow!!! I am playing singles tomorrow and I play a very tough player from Great Britain. I beat her last year in Mallorca, but it was a very close match and she is a much better player on these incredibly fast hard courts!!!

WEDNESDAY- MEXICO CITY

2010-04-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

Same routine as yesterday. Got up early, 6 am and got everything ready to play. Had a great breakfast and off to the courts at 7:30. We must leave early because the traffic in Mexico City is awful. There are 24 million people in Mexico City, and it is crowded. We play at 10 am . We play Ireland today. Fran is playing 2 today, Gretchen 1 and Renata and I are playing the doubles. Fran destroyed her opponent only losing 1 game. She played very well. Gretchen on the other hand had a tough first set. Remember she was playing the 6 footer with the 110 mph serve!! Gretchen struggled at first, just trying to connect with the serve, but managed to win in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Renata and I played the doubles, the 6 footer and her partner!! We won the toss and chose to serve first. I served first and then prepared myself to return Lesley's serve. I connected really well the entire set. We played well and won 6-1. We continued the match (new balls after every set) and proceeded to lose the second set 6-1. Lesley served the hugest serves I have played agains in many years!! They won the second set 6-2 and we took the last set 6-0. We decided to keep the ball away from the amazon woman!!! It worked. We have off tomorrow, Thursday. Planning to do a little sight seeing (the pyramids)!! We also have the big Dinner Gala tomorrow. Off to bed I go. tired.

TUESDAY- MEXICO CITY

2010-04-01T22:25:00.001-07:00

We played our first match today vs. Mexico. I played at the #2 position and won easily in straight sets, only losing one game, yeah!!! Greatchen played at the #1 position and also won easily. We finished the day with an easy win in doubles. Good day at the office!!!! All the top teams won easily with no surprises. Tomorrow we play Ireland. Their number 1 player is very very tall, about 6 feet tall, and hits her serve at what the guys said, 110!! Thank goodness I do not have to play her!! Gretchen will have the chance at that one!!

MONDAY AT THE WORLD TEAM COMPETITION

2010-04-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had Monday off, so we practiced at the club and scouted our opponents for our Tuesday match. We will play the home team of Mexico. The Men's team also had the day off so we hung out at the club and I even got to hit with one of the team members, Rick Leach, who has won 9 Grand Slam titles in doubles and was ranked quite high in singles. We relaxed by the pool after our traning session and had a great lunch at the club. We later went to an Argentinian restaurant for dinner and headed for bed early.

OPENING CEREMONIES/SUNDAY

2010-03-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday and we had a great day of practice!! Everyone is getting more comfortable with the high altitude but are still struggling with the breathing. The breakfast are fantastic. Everything you could imagine for breakfast is available. The opening ceremonies are this afternoon so everyone is getting their workouts in and getting ready for later today. Everyone looked great at the opening ceremonies. It is so nice to see all the different countries represented and all of the different warm ups with their countries colors and names on them. We were called country by country (just like the olympics) and walked into a big stadium. Surprisingly there were alot of people there and each country was cheered by the crowd.
It felt as though we were in the OLYMPICS!!! After everyone marched in, there were several speeches made and then a great Mexican dancing performance. Just before the dancers came out, they opened the ceremony by lighting a torch (just like the olympics). This is one of my favorite opening ceremonies I have been to. The show lasted for about 2 hours then we all went around the courtyard and had some authentic Mexican food. From there we went and had some Italian food. There is an Italian restaurant near the hotel where most of the players have become attached to. The food is great and it is close.
The draws have been posted and we are seeded #1. We do have a strong team again this year and deserve the seeding. We have the day off tomorrow and play on Tuesday, we will play Mexico. So tomorrow we practice and check out our opponents for Tuesday's match. Well I am tired and need to go to bed!!!

WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS- MEXICO CITY-2010

2010-03-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

March 27, 2010

Well here I am again, playing for the USA in the World Cup Team Event, an honor to have made the team once again....... The venue is Mexico City, Mexico. At first everyone was very hesitant about coming to Mexico, due to the reported violence etc, but after arriving here, I have a different view of this country. It is very modern, there are alot of people and they are very friendly and nice, and the Tennis facilities here are great!!
I arrived yesterday and tried to just get adjusted to the altitude!! We are 6700 feet up!! I had a headache all day yesterday, which is a common affect of high altitude. The hotel is very nice, and all the players from all over the world began to arrive. It is so nice to see old friends that I met at previous World Team Cup Championships. Just great tennis players, and very nice people!!!!
I just went to the gym and did cardio yesterday, because we came in too late to hit. We went out for a nice Italian dinner and hit the bed early. All of us were tired, either from practicing all day or from traveling. We got up early this am, 6:45, (I have not seen the day at 6:45 in the am in a long time!!!!!), had a great breakfast and headed to the courts for our first workout session. We hit alot, just trying to get adjusted to the balls and fast courts. We are playing with pressureless balls and they still fly!!! Nothing like I have experienced before. Faster than I have ever experienced before!!! I was disappointed because I did not hit the ball well, but it is to be expected and so I took a different attitude. I thought to my myself, it is your first day and you will get used to the conditions soon. After our first session, we ate at the club some Mexican food and it was good!!! Soon afterwards, Mary Dailey and I went out for our second round of hitting.. we planned on somehow finding our timing. Well it helped alot to hit again and I felt much better about the way I hit this afternoon. I am very, very tired now. Will stretch, relax and get ready for dinner with our USA team members.

Team USA- Margaret Court Cup team members are:
Fran Chandler (Tennessee)
Gretchen Magers (California)
Mariana Hollman (North Carolina)
Renata Marcinkowska (South Carolina)
!!! We are last years World Cup Team Champions and I feel really good about our chances this year again!!!
GO TEAM USA!!!
I will try to update daily and will get some pictures up very soon!!!!

INTERNATIONAL CLUB MATCH VS. GREAT BRITAIN

2009-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

I then prepared for the IC match against Great Britain. This event will be my first and I was really excited about traveling to England (first time) and competing in this prestigious event. The International Club is a prestigious Club where only former professionals or current National or World Champions are nominated to become members. I was asked to become a member a few months again due to my good results and I feel so previliged to be a member and compete in these great events.
The locations are wonderful, the people you meet are first class, and the competition is fierce!!! The USA and Great Britain are currently tied for the Avory Cup.
My friend and partner was Vesna McKenna from Florida (a firefighter). I will play in the 45's and she will play in the 40's. My first match will be against Christine French, (the lady I beat in the finals of the Worlds last year!!). This is how tough the competition is in these events!! Because of the rains we could not play on the grass, so we played on astro turf (with sand). The courts were wet, slow, and slick. I played well, leading in the first set 5-2, with a set point. She began to play very aggressive and using her drop shots well. I lost the first set in a very close tiebreak!!! Needless to say, I was very disappointed!!! I was up 3-1 in the second and the balls got so fat and heavy, I struggled to keep the ball deep and again I lost the lead and lost 6-4!! Again a bit disappointed, but I have to give her the credit for being aggressive on key points!!
I won all the other matches, played well.
We went sightseeing the last two days!! I got to play at Wimbledon!! Great courts and an unbelievable facility. We had a private tour and I was able to go to the locker rooms , press rooms, player lounges !! What a great event!!
My next tournament is the NAtional Hard Court near Pebble Beach California. I am healthy and ready to play.

UPDATE

2009-09-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since I have updated the blog, Sorry!!! The summer is quite a busy time, early morning starts and late evenings due to the heat. I have been quite busy since my last competition (June), so I will do my best to update my travels!!
I have continued my training (3 times a week) as I know this is what will keep me going in the my long third set matches. I played Fran Chandler, the #1 ranked player in the US and in the World (at the Senior Southern Cup competition in Alabama) in June and I won an unbelievable match 6-3 in the third. I cramped some in the second set (temps were very hot and humid), but I was able to control the cramping with pickle juice, ice, stretching etc. I still credit my win to the extra hard work I have been putting in the gym. It was a great match with great quality shots and of course super long points. My greatest strengths were of course my conditioning, my ability to hit good quality defensive shots, and my movement. All of these things contributed to my win.
Since that match, I have geared my training to the Grass court game. I played in July in the Grass court National in Pennsylvania. I have played this tournament every year since I was 34!!! A great tournament, fun surface (although I hated playing on grass for the first 3 years!!). I now know what to expect and I prepare better and my results have improved (winner of doubles and 2nd in singles last year). I beat Joann Russell (Wimbledon doubs champ in the late 70's) in singles and in doubles last year. I have to be more aggressive and play alot of serve and volley!!! I got to Philly 3 days prior to the tournament and practiced for 2 days on the grass. I noticed that my right shoulder was acting up some, but thought maybe it was just a little tight. Well by Monday I was struggling quite a bit, I could barely serve, hit a forehand, overhead, or a high forehand. All the shots I needed to do well on the grass!! I tried massage therapy and of course lot's of drugs and nothing helped. It turned out to be a bad case of busitis and a slight strain of a muscle. I played my first round match and won. I struggled alot, especially on my serve and forehand and the shoulder was hurting quite a bit. I managed to make it to the semis where I lost, again the shoulder did not allow me to hit any overheads and struggled on my serve. I almost defaulted after taking an injury time out, but I chose to finish the match. I defaulted for 3rd/4th playoff, trying to save my shoulder for the doubles. We played a tough semfinal match and lost in 2 very close sets. We did win the bronze in the 3rd/4th playoff in doubls. I went home very disappointed, since I felt I was very ready to win, but sometimes injuries just show up at our age and we just have to deal with it!!!
I came home and took a week off, iced, stretched and rested. Worked with my trainer on alot of stretching and strength training. Within a week it started to feel better and got back on the court!!!

2009-06-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

It is Friday and here in Alabama, the weather has improved!! Alot of rain yesterday, but today overcast and partially sunny, but no rain!!! There were going to be alot of tough matches today for our men's teams. Our 35's, 45's, and 55's have their hands full. We play SC in the 35's today and Andy Lake and Will Bull are very very strong players!!! We lost both singles but pulled out a great doubles match. In the 45's we won both singles, very close matches, and lost the doubles. In the 55's group, we lost all 3 matches, but the two singles matches were very tight and our #1, Bob Lake lost in a heartbreaking third set, 7-5. The men's 65's lost in the doubles match, and our fabulous 75's dominated and won all 3 matches.
The Women's teams faired well today. Our 35's lost all 3 matches and again our #2 singles lost in 3 tough sets. I represented the 45's and our division won 2-1. I won at #1 singles, 6-1, 6-0, our #2 singles lost 6-3, 7-5 and Nannette and I won the doubles 6-0, 6-4. We played very well today. The 55's won easily, I am not sure the results of the 65's or 75's, but I think we won.
Tomorrow should be another day of great tennis. I don't know all of the match ups for tomorrow but I will update later with the results. The weather is supposed to be great 85 or so and on Sunday 88!!
How about those French Open matches today!!! Unbelievable!! The only disappointment was that NBC only showed 3 hrs of the first match only and we did not get to see any of the Federer match. What were they thinking????? Someone needs to complain to NBC!!!
Well I am interested to know how the Swedish player Soderling will fair against the FED man!!! I know the Swedes (and you all know who I am talking about, Goran, Henrik!!!) are very very happy right now and we have to give him some credit!!! He did not lose the next round as predicted, and he took down a Dirtballer today. Any predictions for Sunday??? It does make it an interesting French OPEN!!! My money is on the FED Man!!!

2009-06-05T07:45:00.001-07:00

Well I have been back to reality for several weeks since I have returned from one of my favorite places in the world, Spain!! I was exhausted after I returned and had to take a 2 week break!! Very little tennis and just working out in the gym. Still have to keep up my fitness, but took a mental tennis break.
I have been back at work and with the school year winding down, I have been very busy on the courts. I finally got back on the court to practice for my next upcoming event, Senior Southern Cup in Huntsville, Alabama. It is a great event and I always look forward to playing it every year. The event is basically all the Southern Section States send a team (the best players from each state) for each age group, starting in the 35's, men and women, and we battle it out, state vs. state. The winners of the Southern Cup is the team that wins the most points at the end of the tournament (every match counts!!!) . We have won this event many times, so North Carolina players always get pumped up and support all age groups and play with alot of pride. The matches are always fantastic and extremely competitive. Since the Southern Section of the USTA is probably the strongest section in the U.S., the matches are always very close. The heat usually takes a toll by the second or third day. Very hot in the South during this time of the year. I play today vs. the South Carolina #1 player, then play doubles afterwards.
The men's 45's group play SC also and it will be a very tough match.
There are many players who were on the National Cup team events in the past few years here. In fact, my team mate (Margaret Court Cup Winning team 2009), Fran Chandler plays for Tennesse!!! It is funny that we were playing on the same team just 4 weeks ago, and now we are opponents. We are still best of friends!!!
Well must go to support some of my teammates!!!

FRIDAY/SATURDAY AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2009-05-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

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!!!

THURSDAY AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2009-05-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

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!!

WEDNESDAY AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2009-05-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

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!!!

TUESDAY AT THE WORLD INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MALLORCA SPAIN

2009-05-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

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!!

MONDAY- FIRST DAY OF WORLD INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

2009-05-15T06:28:00.001-07:00

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!!!

SUNNDAY- TRAVEL DAY

2009-05-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-05-15T05:01:00.001-07:00

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!!!

2009-05-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-04-30T04:14:00.001-07:00

So it is now Thursday and we are in the Quarters of the Team Competition. Yesterday we won easily against the Swedes!! I played #2 and won easily and we won the other matches handly!!We are playing against the Brits now!! I just played at #2 position and won against a very good and tough opponent, 6-2, 7-6. I did not play great, but I competed well and fought hard for every point. She had a great drop shot, and unfortunately I saw a bit too many!!! Gretchen is playing now at #1 position and winning!! Looks like we will be in the semis!! I think we are going to bring home the CUP!! We are a very tough team, alot of depth!!!

We had the big Dinner last night and everyone was dressed in their best outfits and we drank wine, champagne, and had a fabulous dinner. No dancing afterwards, since here in Spain, they start partying very late, 11-12!! Us Americanos are not quite used to that!!! It's truly amazing how the Spaniards can stay up late and play the next day, and well!!!

There are alot of tough matches today, the French are playing the Spaniards and their #2 player just split sets after 2 1/2 hours. It will be a long day for those ladies!! The other tough matches will be the Aussies vs. the Czechs!! I will be watching that match!! We will definitely have a tough match tomorrow and will keep you updated.

I am so proud of our Adams Farm ladies who just moved up to the #1 position in the Gate City League!!! Way to go!!!

Well I must go cheer Gretchen on so I must go!!! Will update you later this pm or tomorrow!!

WORLD CUP TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS- MALLORCA, SPAIN 2009

2009-04-28T04:29:00.001-07:00

Sorry it took so long to get this blog going, the internet services at the hotel and not reliable and most of the time the internet service is down.
First of all Mallorca Spain is beautiful, and the people here are very friendly. Luckily I speak Spanish, so I am able to communicate with everyone easily. I am the translator of my team!! They are so happy that I can speak!!! The four players on our team is Fran Chandler, Tennessee, Gretchen Magers, California, Mary Dailey, Florida, and Me, Mariana Hollman from North Carolina. We have a very very strong team this year and I think we will bring home the CUP!!!
There are almost 20 different teams in our age group this year. We are in the group with Estonia, Australia, and Sweden. We played the Aussies yesterday, a tough first round for us, but we won, 3-0. Gretchen played one and won in a tough 2 sets, Fran won easily, but still a good opponent, and Mary and I played a great doubles match and we won 6-4 in the 3rd set.
There was a long rain delay yesterday so we started late and did not finish until 8:30 pm. Long DAY!!!
We played this am against Estonia. I played #2 and won easily, Fran played 1 and won easily and the doubles is being played now. We should win that easily also!!!
The Men's 55's team are near our site, but all teams are playing all around the island, so it's tough to see any of the the other teams playing!!
We are done for the day, we just won the doubles so off to ride around the island we go!!! A little shopping, a little beach action Tough life!!!

2009-03-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally springtime and everyone is finally coming out of hibernation!!! I have had a wonderful winter season, resting, working on my strength and conditioning, and getting ready to get back on the courts to teach my wonderful ladies at the Adams Swim and Tennis Club!! I was very proud of them because they did not put away their racquets for the winter, but instead, they worked on their game and now they are ready to compete.

I am gearing up for my upcoming World Team and Individual Tournament in Mallorca, Spain. As I said before, I have really been putting in the work in the gym. I feel stronger, faster, and more confident than I ever have. Why did I not do this before, hire a personal trainer to specifically work on strengthening for tennis?? I have always worked out some, but not with this intensity, focus , and the proper training, and it shows!!! I am ready!!

My ankle has improved a great deal, still not perfect, but not bothering me on the court. I feel confident with my movement, a great feeling considering I could barely walk a month ago!! Once again the lay off was good and I think that is why I am back playing again this quickly.

Well, until we meet again!! Good bye

2009-03-12T04:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have added to my blog, but I will continue to blog my Senior Tennis results throughout the year for NC Tennis. It is March already and the weather has been pretty rough all winter. I worked very hard on my fitness this winter trying to prepare for the upcoming 2009 Tennis season. I will have to defend my World Championship Title in May, so I am preparing early.
I played 2 tournaments this year, the first one a Category II National in Palm Springs California. I love this tournament because of the location and the tournament itself is run very well. Always good weather, so I get a start on my tan early in the year!!! I played well and made it to the finals. I lost to Gretchen Magers who was a top world ranked player in the 80's. I did not play my best that day, but she always gives me a rough time because of her very aggressive style of play. My partner and I also made it to the finals, but she got hurt in the finals of her singles and was literally playing on one leg!! We lost in 3 sets. I gave her alot of credit for just trying!! I probably would not have played.
The second tournament I played in was also a Cat. II National tournament but was in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Another great location and again was able to work on my tan!! I was playing very well and was in the semifinals winning 6-4, 4-2 when I turned my ankle. I could not continue and had to carried off the court and immediately went to the hospital to find out what the damage was. Luckily no fractures, just a degree 2 sprain and would be 3-4 weeks before I could play again.
I followed the docs order to a tee and stayed off my ankle, wore a boot for 3 1/2 weeks. Alot of ice, elevation, compression. It was rough, but I am now 80% recovered, back on the court and continuing my training for the Cup TEam event and World Championship event in Mallorca Spain.
So yes, I made the World Cup team once again and we are headed to the beautiful Spanish island of MAllorca!!!! Maybe I will meet RAFA!!! I am very excited and look forward to playing. The other ladies on our team is Gretchen Magers, Fran Chandler, and Sue Boyer. My doubles partner Myke is not on the team this year, but will be there and we will play to defend our title!!!

SATURDAY FINALS OF SINGLES AND DOUBLES

2008-10-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

It is now Saturday and the Finals of Singles was set again for 10:30 am. I got up early and had a good breakfast and warm up session with my normal warm up partner (Vesna) from Flordia. We have been warming up every morning at 7:15 because the matches started and 8:30 and all the courts were being used for the tournament. I spoke with Fran again about my opponent's game and she gave me some useful information that I could use. I really thought she would be tired after her long match with Fran, so again one of my plans was to wear her out! Physically I felt great, so I knew that stamina would not be an issue for ME!!! We started the match at 10:30 on the money!! Every single point was extremely long and very good, we both used deep shots against each other, came to the net, used angles etc. Overall the first set was great. I was up 4-2, then before I knew it she came back and won the set 6-4!!! I was disappointed because I felt like I had the uppper hand in the first set, but she somehow managed to pull it out with some clever drop shots and good net play. I did force the issue on some of the points, coming to the net and hitting some oh but I missed a few shots to lose the first set. The second set started a bit slow for me and she had the momentum. She got up 2-0 in the second set by being more aggressive and using the wind to her advantage. Well I was not going to give up!! I kept plugging in, using my movement and good net play to tie it up at 2-2. We battled back and forth to 3-3 and I finally broke her to go up 4-3 and I fininished the second set at 6-3. We took a 10 min break and came back out to do more battle. It was one set for the entire championship so I was going to give it my all. I was not tired at all, my legs felt great and I thought I had the momentum after winning the second set. I thought she may have ran out of gas in the second so I was ready to rumbel and make her run some more!!! We started the 3rd set and again I went down 2-0, similar to the 2nd set. Again I fought back to 2-2. We kept holding serve and I finally broke to go up 4-3. She broke back and tied it up at 4-4, she then went up 5-4, 30-love against my serve. I managed to win that game with some unbeilievable gets and some good strategic points. I tied it up at 5-5, went up 6-5 and finished the match at 7-5 in the third. I could not believe that I had just won the Worlds!!! I jumped for joy and thanked all of my USA teammates and players who supported and encouraged me throughout the match. It made all the difference in the world to have them there!!! What a great experience!!! It it hard to explain how it felt, but I knew I had accomplished something big!!! I did not celebrate too long because I now had to play the doubles at 4:30. My singles match lasted 4 1/2 hours, started at 10:30 and finished at 3:00. I quickly ate lunch (late), got a 30 minute massage and proceeded to go back to the courts for the finals of the doubles. We played our own teammates (#1 seeds), Fran and Susan. It was an All American Doubles finals. I think my partner was a bit concerned that I would be tired, but I assured her that I was fine and ready to play!! We started just after 4:30 and the concern was that we would end up playing under the lights. The lights at the club were not good, hard to follow the lobs because they went over the lights, but we had to play. We started a little slow, but eventually started to get warmed up. We played a very tough first set winning it 7-5, after being down 4-2. We capitalized on our net game and solid overheads to close out the first set. We started strong in the 2nd, went up 4-2 and 5-2, and eventually finishing at 6-3 in the second set. Once again, I was the World Champion in Doubles!!! We hugged and hugged and we celebrated. A great accomplishment for both of us!!! It was time to celebrate and boy did I. Even though I had played over 6 hours of tennis that day, I found the energy dance and dance until 2 am!!! Tomorrow is a rest day, and I can't wait!! I will get a massage and take a turkish bath and just lay by the beach and soak it all in!!! I travel back home early monday morning. I look forward to seeing everyone and showing you pictures and the videos from Team World and Individual Tournaments!!!

FRIDAY @ THE INDIVIDUAL WORLDS

2008-10-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

So it is now Friday and I play in the Semifinals of singles at 10:30. Thank goodness because I am not an early person!!!! Those 8:30 am matches just about killed me. Today I play the #1 player from the Czech Republic, Barbara Koutna. She is seeded #2 in the draw, I am #5. I saw Koutna play against Fran in the Team Competition so I knew she would be one of my toughest matches. She is seeded no. 2 for a reason!!! She has a tremendous forehand, solid backhand, a good serve, and an overall solid net game. I had a plan in mind, but of course it was a matter of executing the plan. I knew that Fran frustrated her by getting alot balls back and being consistent, so that was going to be game plan #1, frustrate her and hit deep balls to her backhand (1 handed). She frequently ran around the forehand and tried to control the points with her forehand. We battled in the first set and my gameplan worked, she got very frustrated and made unforced errors so I got the first set 6-3. I felt good about how I was playing, confident from the baseline and my movement was exceptional. We started the second set and I immediately broke her and was up 1-0. I thought I had her mentally because I won that first game so easily, but I was wrong. She settled down and began to use her forehand effectively, moving me from corner to corner and coming up with tremendous angles and some great drop shots. I got down 5-1 in the second set, so I mentally decided to just play one point at a time, kept making her work for every point, and before I knew it I got back even with her. In a key point at 5-4 her, I came to the net and she hit an angled backhand passing shot, which I hit with my left hand at the net (just trying to reach it), hit the ball back in the court short, then hit a lob volley over her head for a winner!! That was the turning point!! I ended up winning the tiebreak in the second set 7-3 and I found myself in the Finals of the World's!!! I was ecstatic and quite shocked!! I did play well and felt very deserving of that match!!!! The other semi finals was still going on, with Fran (my teammate and the #1 seed) playing the #4 seed, Christine French (the #1 player from Great Britain). I went to watch the match and the match was at 5-2, Christine in the third set. I knew Fran was not going to give up (I have played her so many times!!!!) and she came back to win 2 more games. They battled at 5-4, long game, and Christine ended up 6-4 in the 3rd set. I kept mental notes on what she did well which was her serve and baseline consistency and a great bh drop shot!!! I knew I had my hands full tomorrow in the FINALS, but I also felt that maybe she would be a little tired. My partner and I are in the semis this afternoon against Brenda Foster and Christine French, the #2 seeds. I knew Christine would be a bit tired from her singles match and I had already played Brenda (the tall Australian that I played in the quarters), so I knew what we were up against, both good solid doubles players. Myke and I knew we were ready, we had practiced together alot during the Team Competition and had played quite a bit before. We had to just play consistent and smart doubles. We talked about the importance of playing Christine more since she was tired, and that they were both tall and had very solid overheads, so we were going to keep the lobbing to a minimum!! We started the match with a break of service and just played great in both sets. We made very few mistakes, communicated well and controlled the net!! A great match for us and once again, I was in the FINALS (doubles) of the World's. It has been a GREAT day for me!!! I had set some goals for myself before leaving the states and slowly I was accomplishing them. I have 2 more matches left to win the Worlds so I focusing and will be ready for tomorrow!!

2008-10-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

It is now Friday and I played yesterday in the quarters of the singles and the doubles. I played the #3 seed yesterday in the singles, the #1 player from Australia. I had lost to her twice before and was a bit nervous about playing her. I knew what I needed to do to beat her, but it was a matter of executing the right shots. She is a very aggressive player, big serve and a big net game, but not very mobile. My strategy was to keep the balls deep and not let her get to the net as much as she would like to. I broke her right away, first game!! That gave me alot of confidence. I also noticed that she lacked confidence on her forehand so I was relentless and kept her moving and hitting to that side. She has a great backhand and she diguised her drop shot very, very well!!! I played a tough first set, and won it 6-4. I started well in the second and won the second 6-2. This was a great win and now I am into the semifinals of the singles at the World Championships!!! I play a tough opponent today, #1 Czech player. I warmed up this am and feel great!! I am ready to rumble!!! My doubles partner, Myke and I also yesterday in the quarters of the doubles so we are in the semis of the doubles. We play the Australian, Brenda Foster (who I just beat in singles), and the #1 player from Great Britain. It should be a very good match!!!!

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY

2008-10-22T23:32:00.001-07:00

All is going great!! I played Tuesday vs. a Turkish lady. Pretty nice strokes but not in great shape so I took advantage of that!!! I won 6-2, 6-0. No doubles today so I hung out watched all the other Americans play their matches and got a great massage!! The massages here in Turkey are out of this world!!! I also played yesterday, Wednesday vs. the #2 player from Great Britain. I knew she was a good player since she played on their Cup Team and had some good wins. I warmed up well and was ready to go. I started the match well with a break of service. Her serve was good so I was happy to break her right away. From then on I played very consistent used my agility and speed and made her hit alot of balls!!! She made some unforced errors on some key points and I won the first set 6-3. The second set was easy at first. She made alot of unforced errors on her forehand side, so of course she kept seeing alot of forehands!!! I went up 4-0 quickly. She had a good service game and won the next game to make it 4-1. I rallied back to take a 5-2 lead and several match points. She played loose and went for some fh winners and got back to 5-3. I finally closed out the match after about 5 match points!!! Good win and I now have advanced into the Quarter finals. I play the #3 seed today, the #1 player from Australia. It will be a tough match. She is 5 11" and hits the ball hard. Likes to come in alot, so I will need to keep that ball deep so she does not get to the net as much!!! My partner and I are in the quarters of the doubles also and will play at 4:30 pm!! Last night at the Club we had 3 four legged creatures on site!! Camels!! My friends decided to take a ride on one!! It was too funny!! I will post some pictures later today since I am getting ready to go on the court for my match.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY/MONDAY

2008-10-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

Well we had our closing ceremonies on Friday!! We got our Bronze medals and we were very proud of them. We knocked out France for 3rd place!!! As my teammate said,"The difference between 3rd and 4th is that we get to go up to the Podium and get a medal!!!!" . Saturday was a day to just watch alot of the other team finals. We had alot of teams playing for their cup today, and we prevailed in many of them but lost in some others. A long presentation for those that played today proceeded the matches and the end of the Team Championships came to an end!! I will miss the team spirit from the week. Alot of the players will be going home, but quite a few are staying to playing the World Individual tournament. Some are just flying in and getting ready to compete. I got seeded 5th in the singles and 3rd in the doubles. The matches will start on Sunday or Monday depending on the size of the draws and your seeding. I had a bye first round so I will not start playing until Tuesday. I took advantage of the day off and went to the ancient city of Side. Did some shopping and bought some great Turkish items!!! It is Tuesday now and I play at 4:00 pm. I am headed to the warm up court to get some hitting in. I play a lady from Turkey. I will update you later!!!!!

PLAYOFF FOR 3RD/4TH

2008-10-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Well I woke up this morning and felt a little tired after the long day yesterday!!! We started the match vs. the Czech's at 8:30 am and we finally finished at 6:00 pm. All matches went three sets and all of them were battles. I decided to sit out this match since I did not feel 100% and Myke played in the #2 position vs. France (the #1 seeds). We thought she was going to have an easy match, since I had scouted the #2 French player yesterday, but they played their #3 player and she was a very good player, a totally different player than their #2. She had a very strong baseline game so Myke had to be ready to battle and boy did she. She played with alot of patience and tenacity!!! Alot of long points (typical of the red clay), and she prevailed in 2 sets (after being down 4-1 in the 2nd set). Great playing Myke!!! We really needed that win at #2 because their no. 1 player is an incredibly good world class player and we knew Fran would have her hands full!!! Fran's match started with alot of good points, but Catherine took alot of her short balls and attacked beautifully!!! Fran lost the 1st set 6-3, but I knew that if she used the right strategy, she could break her down some!! I coached both Myke and Fran's match and kept reminding them of what they were doing well and how they were winning points. I have to say that I did a great job, because Fran won the 2nd and 3rd set, using the strategy we had been discussing to perfection!!! She had to execute the plan and she did!!! A great win for both of our players and most importantly a great win for the USA!!! We beat the former #1 team in the World (last year's winners). Overall we played as a team great!! We won significant matches and we worked very well together. We were a TEAM, and the results showed!!! We were very happy to get on that podium and receive the 3rd place medal!!! By the way the Czechs ended winning the Cup this year with a win agains Italy. We were literally one set away from winning the Cup!!! Well I start the Individual Singles tournament on Monday. I have spent the last few days sightseeing and practicing.

DAY 4 COMPETITION

2008-10-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

It is now Thursday here in Turkey and we played this morning at 8:30 am in the semifinals vs. Czech Republic. We had the day off yesterday so we just practiced and watched some very exciting USA Men's and Women's matches. I got up very early today (too early for me!!) and got a good warm up in before my 8:30 am match. My opponent was very, very strong (wondering what she is taking????). Huge, huge forehand, stronger than most men I have played with!!! We battled in the first set and with some good deep shots and moonballs I frustrated and she made alot of mistakes enabling me to win the first set in a close 6-3 battle. I thought she may have been a little tired, but I was wrong, and something kicked in. We battled hard alot of deuces and ads, but her forehand was on fire!!! She hit alot of great shots and beat me 6-0 in the second. It was closer than the score though!! The 3rd set was pretty much the same, she rarely missed her forehand and she ran around all of her backhands, so it was very difficult to get it there!! Fran played her match and again she had to battle a big forehand, and a very, very strong Czech!! What are these girls taking??????????????? Look at the pictures and
judge for yourself!!!! Fran did manage to pull it out in the third set, so it came down to the doubles. Myke and I found ourselves again battling forehands the entire 3 sets of doubles. Angle, topspin lob, moonballs you name it and they did it. We were up 4-2 in the first set and lost a close set at 6-4. We changed our strategy, stayed back, and came in together which seemed to throw them off and it worked for a while. We managed to pull out the second set 6-4. THe new ball in the third set did not help us!! They started extremely strong, not missing much of anything and we lost 6-2 in the third. The match was fantastic and we had most of the USA players from the other teams yelling and screaming for us. It was so exciting and intense, and the points were all fabulous. Even though we lost, we felt great about our efforts and they way we hung in there with these lades (or men????). We play tomorrow against France for 3rd and 4th. Overall it was an exciting day of tennis. We started at 8:30 am and got off the court @ 6:00 pm!! A very long day on the courts today!!!! Hope everyone is doing well in the States!!!

Day 3 of Competition/Wednesday

2008-10-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a tough day because we had to play @ 8:30 am!! The last 2 days we played at 12:30!! I am NOT a morning person!!! I had to get up at 6:30!!! Got up and took down 3 cups of coffee just to wake up! I did wake up, ate a little breakfast, stretched, and warmed up to prepare for my match vs. Germany. I am playing #2 today. My opponent was mostly a serve and volley player and at first gave me a little bit of problem because in the first game she did not miss a first serve or volley!! She dropped volley beautifully!!! As the match progressed I kept the ball deep and out steadied her. I won the first set 6-2, and 6-4 in the second. Felt good to get that match out of the way. Fran played and won 6-2, 6-3 so we now advance to the semi finals against Italy. They will be tough. We have a day break tomorrow and resume on Friday!! Getting ready to go watch a few of our USA teams finish up for the day.

Day 2 of Competition/ TUESDAY

2008-10-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Today we play Turkey. Not a very strong team so we will play our #3 and #4 players in singles and Fran and I will play doubles. We won both singles and doubles easily. I did watch an incredible match in the men's 35's division. Andy Lake, used to be a North Carolinian from the Asheville area, played an incredible match. The points went on and the shot making from the two guys was amazing. Just like the pros, if not better!!! The match went to 3 sets and Andy finally prevailed with an unbelievable running fh cc winner that was unbelievable. We play a tough German team tomorrow for our last qualifying match. After our win, we will move on to the semis against Italy, a very very tough team!!

The venue is incredible. Every night there is a production on stage where a Russian Dance company comes in and does different dancing and musical shows. They are all incredibly talented and the shows are Las Vegas style. Beautiful costumes and incredible dancing moves. Last night was a great show where they performed dances from different countries. Beautifully done!!! We have had dinner at the Beach Restaurant almost every night. It's been great so far and very relaxing, although the tennis has been somewhat intense. Hope everyone in the US is doing well and the tennis is going well. Well I will update again tomorrow!!

DAY 1 OF COMPETITION

2008-10-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

Well I have now been in Turkey for 3 days. My flight went well, there were 15 of us traveling on the same flight so it was alot of fun. We arrived at the Resort at about 2:30 and immediately went for a practice session. We rested the rest of the day and had our first meal at the greatest food venue ever. You can find any type of food imaginable!!! Asia, Tukish, American, Italian!!! alot to choose from!! I always gain weight when I come here. The desserts are unbelievable!! Today we play Australia in our first round match. It will be a tough first round. I will be up first, playing singles in the number 2 position. I am at the gym stretching and warming up getting ready to take the Aussie!! She is going DOWN!!! After my match our no. 1 will play their no. 1 and doubles will follow. I will come back later to update everyone on the final results of our first match!!!!

Well I played well today!! The winds were about 40 mph and very tough conditions!! I won the first set easily 6-0, she made alot of mistakes, trying to go for winners!!! Remember what I have told you all, you can't win matches by making winners!!! She settled into the match in the second set but I still went up 4-1. She started to play well, making less mistakes, and tied it up. We finally had to play a tiebreak and I prevailed, 7-5 in the tb!! Our #1, Fran, won in a tight match against a very tough opponent 6-3, 6-4. Australia is the toughest group in our group so we were quite happy to get that one out of the way with a 2-1 win. We lost our doubles, Myke and Sue played that match. Overall a great first day of competition and alot of great matches throughout the venue!!!

MARIANA'S TURKEY BLOG- 2008

2008-10-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

JUST LEAVING FOR THE AIRPORT THIS MORNING EARLY!!! VERY EXCITED AND DREADING THE LONG TRIP!! I THINK I HAVE EVERYTHING????!!!!