My opponent today was Mooshon, who beat the number two seed 6-1 6-2. I checked out his past tournament stats before the match started and he played a lot of 4.0 in past years but never made it past the first round. I felt I was going up against a guy who was clearly overrating himself, and expected an easy match.
The first warning sign occurred during warm-up when he literally would not miss a shot. Volleys, baseline rallies, overheads.. he seemed to be able to hit everything. Then he started serving with a very inefficient motion, and I was relieved that he had at least one weakness I could attack.
The match started well and I got up to 40-15 in the first game. At that point, he stopped making errors and began to roll through the set. I was doing a great job serving, returning his first serve, and blasting his second serve deep to his backhand, but Mooshon would always find a way to neutralize the rally. I would lose almost every rally unless I hit one or two outstanding shots. Almost every one of my approach shots were countered by well placed lobs, and I was seriously doubting my chances for the first set after he broke twice.
At 0-3 I focused on targeting his one-handed backhand, and we settled into many long backhand-to-backhand rallies. I think that he eventually realized my backhand was my more consistent side, and started slicing to frustrate my forehand, as well as to draw me up to the net. By this time I was out of ideas and patience, and played a lackluster game at 0-5 to receive my first tournament bagel ever.
I was pumped to start the second set and started hitting more forcefully to Mooshon's backhand. We traded breaks before he caught on and started just retrieving most of my paced balls. My strategy yielded a lot of short returns, but I could not reliably put the ball away. I hit my approach shots deep but they were also too high and gave Mooshon plenty of options to return it. I would almost always follow with an insufficient volley that would result in a lob or force me to hit a bad stroke from the middle of the court (no man's land). At 3-1, Mooshon settled into a rhythm and I grew increasingly desperate. I went for low-percentage shots from the baseline and began to rush my service motion. Even though I told myself I was only a break or two away from levelling the match, I subconsciously felt the match was unsalvageable. Monshoon finally hit an uncharacteristic winner to end the match 6-0 6-1, and I was left to wonder what exactly I could have done to beat him.
He had no discernable weak strokes besides his second serve, and even my best returns could not penetrate him at the baseline. I don't feel I played below my normal level today, but I am now aware of what I have to practice - to construct points through disciplined approach shots and volleys. Perhaps the match would have been different if I won the first game of first set, perhaps not, but I'll really have to capitalize on the mental advantage of serving first (and having a stronger serve) in the future.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Through the Rain - Richmond Open Day 3
Richmond Open Day 3 wasn't exactly just a day since a rain delay split up the match between Monday and Tuesday.
I met my opponent Wesmond for the first time in over a year - we used to both play in Steveston but recently he was affected by an illness that seriously impaired his balance. Luckily it has mostly subsided, and he was finally able to play tennis again.
My match against Wesmond was my second time ever playing a seeded player (after my 2-6 4-6 disaster against Rick) and a win against a red player would have made my run through 3.5 more meaningful. As usual, I bombed my warm-up but served and hit surprisingly well during the first set. I felt I had to put on an especially good show due to a group of my friends spectating the match, and didn't let up on my strokes. I raced to a 4-0 lead before Wes finally found his rhythm and stood his ground with a hold. I held for one more game, and Wes stepped up his play to take the next three games and bring the set to 5-4. The light drizzle turned into heavy rain at the start of the 5-4 and I sensed Wes's urgency to to get off the court. I hit 4 good serves in a row to take the first set, although I feel my opponent wouldn't have let me off so easily if it wasn't raining.
I returned to Richmond Tennis Club the next day a bit relieved that the rain stopped Wes's momentum. I found my forehand was working spectacularly during warmup, and started the second set in a very calm state. I was shocked then, to lose the first 10 points of the set despite not making any significant mistakes. I tried to salvage the rest of the set, but Wes had already built up his confidence. Anything I hit to his backhand he returned with a sharper angle or a ridiculously low slice, and he was changing direction extremely easily on his forehand. In a mirror replay of the first set, Wes staged a 4-0 lead, but unlike the first set, I wasn't able to threaten a comeback and lost the set 2-6.
In the last few games of the second set, I stopped smiling and began to focus on hitting the ball properly. My concentration yielded better results as I split breaks and holds with Wes from the end of set 2 to the start of set 3. After losing another return game to Wes to trail 1-2, I somehow stepped up my game another gear. I'm not sure what exactly it was that clicked, but I felt my resolve strengthen and I realized that I was not going to lose this match. My serve suddenly became unreturnable and I was able to blast all the balls from my forehand wing, both high and low. In a symmetric finish to the start of the second set, I won 5 games straight to take the match. That last half of the match embodied the high that I play tennis for, and my goal is to be able to summon it for at least two sets in every tournament I play.
I met my opponent Wesmond for the first time in over a year - we used to both play in Steveston but recently he was affected by an illness that seriously impaired his balance. Luckily it has mostly subsided, and he was finally able to play tennis again.
My match against Wesmond was my second time ever playing a seeded player (after my 2-6 4-6 disaster against Rick) and a win against a red player would have made my run through 3.5 more meaningful. As usual, I bombed my warm-up but served and hit surprisingly well during the first set. I felt I had to put on an especially good show due to a group of my friends spectating the match, and didn't let up on my strokes. I raced to a 4-0 lead before Wes finally found his rhythm and stood his ground with a hold. I held for one more game, and Wes stepped up his play to take the next three games and bring the set to 5-4. The light drizzle turned into heavy rain at the start of the 5-4 and I sensed Wes's urgency to to get off the court. I hit 4 good serves in a row to take the first set, although I feel my opponent wouldn't have let me off so easily if it wasn't raining.
I returned to Richmond Tennis Club the next day a bit relieved that the rain stopped Wes's momentum. I found my forehand was working spectacularly during warmup, and started the second set in a very calm state. I was shocked then, to lose the first 10 points of the set despite not making any significant mistakes. I tried to salvage the rest of the set, but Wes had already built up his confidence. Anything I hit to his backhand he returned with a sharper angle or a ridiculously low slice, and he was changing direction extremely easily on his forehand. In a mirror replay of the first set, Wes staged a 4-0 lead, but unlike the first set, I wasn't able to threaten a comeback and lost the set 2-6.
In the last few games of the second set, I stopped smiling and began to focus on hitting the ball properly. My concentration yielded better results as I split breaks and holds with Wes from the end of set 2 to the start of set 3. After losing another return game to Wes to trail 1-2, I somehow stepped up my game another gear. I'm not sure what exactly it was that clicked, but I felt my resolve strengthen and I realized that I was not going to lose this match. My serve suddenly became unreturnable and I was able to blast all the balls from my forehand wing, both high and low. In a symmetric finish to the start of the second set, I won 5 games straight to take the match. That last half of the match embodied the high that I play tennis for, and my goal is to be able to summon it for at least two sets in every tournament I play.
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Richmond Open - Day 2
I started my Round of 32 3.0 match at noon today, and within 5 minutes I realized I wasn't going to able to put on my best performance. The midday sun in combination with the complete lack of shade on court whittled down my stamina, and even after the 7 minute warm-up I was panting to catch my breath.
My opponent Rick was a super friendly guy - I sense he works in business, and he played textbook old-person tennis integrated with club strategies. He pushed most shots to my backhand and stepped in to return my second serve, putting me under pressure in a lot of my service games. After being broken on my first service game, I fell to a demoralizing 0-3 and couldn't salvage the first set. My woes continued into the second and Rick nearly broke for the match at 5-2 but I managed to save a match point and fight until 4-5. Then, I squandered an opportunity to hold and got broken one last time. The final 6-2 6-4 score was extremely disappointing as I felt that was a match I really could have turned around. All the momentum was on my side, and a few undisciplined attempts at winners at the end cost me the match.
After grabbing some A&W Sirloin Sliders at Richmond Centre, I came back for my first 3.5 match against Andre. I saw this guy practicing at South Arm almost every time I was there, with practice partners and with a bucket of balls, and I knew he took his tennis seriously. Even though I felt I was probably an underdog, I was feeling extremely confident that I would be able to put in my maximum effort and play my best no matter what. Playing on Court 1, the show court in front of the club, also helped since I felt I played better with people spectating.
The first two games of the match summed up the first set. I hit 4 service winners and 2 double faults, and he followed up with 3 service winners, a double fault, and a rally that led to his backhand error. I was serving 70%+ and was nigh unbreakable for the first set. I faced one break point and erased that with an ace. On the other hand, Andre struggled with his service games more and had to fight off 3 break points on his way to hold to 4-4. Around that time, I figured out how to safely return both his first and second serves by standing 5 feet behind the baseline and was able to put that to use to break at 5-4 and steal a tight first set.
The second set started off almost the same but I managed to break for 3-1, only to get broken back for the first time for 3-2. I then realized that there was almost no way for me to lose this match and played with renewed confidence - the opposite thought crept into Andre's mind and he began to make more mistakes. I entered a level of tennis which I like to describe as full flight, and easily took the next four games to seal the match 6-4 6-2.
My two opponents played different styles (Andre was extremely aggressive) and I truly feel that Andre would win more against Rick if they played 100 sets. Today just proved to me once again that confidence and the mental state are key to securing the W in tennis.
My opponent Rick was a super friendly guy - I sense he works in business, and he played textbook old-person tennis integrated with club strategies. He pushed most shots to my backhand and stepped in to return my second serve, putting me under pressure in a lot of my service games. After being broken on my first service game, I fell to a demoralizing 0-3 and couldn't salvage the first set. My woes continued into the second and Rick nearly broke for the match at 5-2 but I managed to save a match point and fight until 4-5. Then, I squandered an opportunity to hold and got broken one last time. The final 6-2 6-4 score was extremely disappointing as I felt that was a match I really could have turned around. All the momentum was on my side, and a few undisciplined attempts at winners at the end cost me the match.
After grabbing some A&W Sirloin Sliders at Richmond Centre, I came back for my first 3.5 match against Andre. I saw this guy practicing at South Arm almost every time I was there, with practice partners and with a bucket of balls, and I knew he took his tennis seriously. Even though I felt I was probably an underdog, I was feeling extremely confident that I would be able to put in my maximum effort and play my best no matter what. Playing on Court 1, the show court in front of the club, also helped since I felt I played better with people spectating.
The first two games of the match summed up the first set. I hit 4 service winners and 2 double faults, and he followed up with 3 service winners, a double fault, and a rally that led to his backhand error. I was serving 70%+ and was nigh unbreakable for the first set. I faced one break point and erased that with an ace. On the other hand, Andre struggled with his service games more and had to fight off 3 break points on his way to hold to 4-4. Around that time, I figured out how to safely return both his first and second serves by standing 5 feet behind the baseline and was able to put that to use to break at 5-4 and steal a tight first set.
The second set started off almost the same but I managed to break for 3-1, only to get broken back for the first time for 3-2. I then realized that there was almost no way for me to lose this match and played with renewed confidence - the opposite thought crept into Andre's mind and he began to make more mistakes. I entered a level of tennis which I like to describe as full flight, and easily took the next four games to seal the match 6-4 6-2.
My two opponents played different styles (Andre was extremely aggressive) and I truly feel that Andre would win more against Rick if they played 100 sets. Today just proved to me once again that confidence and the mental state are key to securing the W in tennis.
Friday, 25 May 2012
Richmond Open - Day 1
These past few weeks after graduation have been some my most tennis-filled days ever. After practicing almost every sunny day for two weeks, I've been excited to enter the Richmond Open to redeem myself after last year's disappointing results. In my first match at the 3.0 level last year I froze up and dropped the ball 3-6, 1-6. I played a better game in my second match (3.5), but it wasn't anything I was proud of. Playing "Tap the Ball Over the Net" with my opponent resulted in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5) dismissal.
The most important elements of tournament tennis are concentration and discipline. I estimate almost half the draw can win a tournament if a person plays at his or her best level throughout. But when the pressure is on, easy putaway shots can become unmanageable and frustration with a few points can lead to an irreversible drop in play quality.
I started the this year's Richmond Open with consistent backhand, an average serve, and a wildly uncontrollable forehand. My plan was to just keep my heart rate up and my adrenaline pumping, so I could move my feet and set myself up for proper swings at the ball.
My opponent at 3.0 won the warmup today. My forehand was spraying all over the fence on the opposite side and after we split the first two games, I seriously doubted my chances to win. Luckily for me, he revealed his weaknesses as the match progressed. I saw that his one-handed backhand was easily his weaker side, and he was unwilling to put short balls away, instead electing to drop short balls back. Once that play became predictable, I began to hit with more confidence and broke twice to run away with the first set 6-2.
The second set began with two easy holds for me and two extremely difficult service games for him. I broke him at his following service game and moved up to a 5-2 lead. At the point, my nerves began to surface. He effortlessly held for 3-5 and several uncharacteristic double faults from me brought the match back on serve to 4-5. In the next game I earned a match point after several exhausting rallies but was unable to capitalize, and he managed to hold. Losing the match point woke me up, and I sped through the next two games, winning 8 of 9 points to take the match.
Tomorrow I will be playing two matches: the second round of 3.0 and first round of 3.5. I have not trained in cardio for a few months now so fitness is going to play a huge factor. Hopefully, the first match will finish in straights because I can't imagine myself playing 5 or 6 sets in the sun.
The most important elements of tournament tennis are concentration and discipline. I estimate almost half the draw can win a tournament if a person plays at his or her best level throughout. But when the pressure is on, easy putaway shots can become unmanageable and frustration with a few points can lead to an irreversible drop in play quality.
I started the this year's Richmond Open with consistent backhand, an average serve, and a wildly uncontrollable forehand. My plan was to just keep my heart rate up and my adrenaline pumping, so I could move my feet and set myself up for proper swings at the ball.
My opponent at 3.0 won the warmup today. My forehand was spraying all over the fence on the opposite side and after we split the first two games, I seriously doubted my chances to win. Luckily for me, he revealed his weaknesses as the match progressed. I saw that his one-handed backhand was easily his weaker side, and he was unwilling to put short balls away, instead electing to drop short balls back. Once that play became predictable, I began to hit with more confidence and broke twice to run away with the first set 6-2.
The second set began with two easy holds for me and two extremely difficult service games for him. I broke him at his following service game and moved up to a 5-2 lead. At the point, my nerves began to surface. He effortlessly held for 3-5 and several uncharacteristic double faults from me brought the match back on serve to 4-5. In the next game I earned a match point after several exhausting rallies but was unable to capitalize, and he managed to hold. Losing the match point woke me up, and I sped through the next two games, winning 8 of 9 points to take the match.
Tomorrow I will be playing two matches: the second round of 3.0 and first round of 3.5. I have not trained in cardio for a few months now so fitness is going to play a huge factor. Hopefully, the first match will finish in straights because I can't imagine myself playing 5 or 6 sets in the sun.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Kicker-offer
Hello there!
My name is Andy and I'm an Accounting student soon-to-be graudated from the University of British Columbia. This blog is a both a place for me to vent and share opinions of the world around me. I'm expecting to update at least once a week, so stay tuned!
My name is Andy and I'm an Accounting student soon-to-be graudated from the University of British Columbia. This blog is a both a place for me to vent and share opinions of the world around me. I'm expecting to update at least once a week, so stay tuned!
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