This week I received confirmation that I am in the draw for the British Open Championships taking place at Wrexham later in the month. With a maximum entry of 32 for each age group I am the 28th in the acceptance list. 5 players are on the alternate list. This will be my third visit to the British open Championships and it’s a relief to receive the acceptance. I can now plan my travel.
While I have been practicing on court and working out off court, this next tournament really creates a focus for everything over the next week or so. Firstly it’s a long way to go for a single tennis match, so it feels like I need to make it count.
These past two weeks have been positive;
Mon 31st January
Reflecting on the past weekend’s tennis. Even though the result was as predicted, never settling for that inevitability during the match, really helped me give my best performance from first point to last.
Weds 2nd February
Feeling my way from bedroom to bathroom in the dark. It’s the transition between doubts which rise just before getting out of bed in a half sleep and the challenges of the day. Its like an accumulation of worst fears that gather overnight and wait to be dismissed and scatter the moment my foot touches the floor. This walk in the dark, so not to disturb family or dogs, is a walk of gentle placing of foot and faith that the walls and light switches have remained in the same place overnight. The bathroom light brings instant brightness, its forwards from here into the new day, without a glance behind. Doubt is banished in this white artificial light.
Thurs 3rd
Energy feels a little better this evening, probably 80% maybe for the evening’s doubles. The performance is another horror show of poor serving, snatched at ground strokes and missed volleys as the Thursday evening doubles passes me by, to influence little apart from the occasional point here and there.
It’s the usual Thursday post match routine, home, shower, catch the end of the news and settle to watch Question time. Fall asleep after question one and wake just before the credits, after a most comfortable sleep.
Sat 5th
County Closed consolation.
1-4, 4-1, 1-0 (7) There is a little tiredness in the legs I notice during warm up, the lack of a little spring. (Not surprising seeing as I was on court until 10pm last night). I am not hitting as freely as I would like and a couple of mistakes and a bit of a tentative approach sees the first set disappear too quickly for comfort.
At a set down I told myself to remain calm and reduce the errors which I managed to do, which gave me the second set. The tie break was close. I levelled for 6-6, then went to 9-6. In trying to make opponent play more balls a high deep rolling forehand drifted frustratingly wide. A double fault gave me the win 10-7. All a little too close for comfort.
Post match sitting courtside I decide its time for lunch. On opening my home made egg mayonnaise sandwiches the aroma, some would say smell or pong leaps from the sandwich box. I quickly reclose the lid, they will have to wait until later. There are no adverse comments so it looks like I got away with it. I substitute with a handful of chocolates from the refreshment table instead.
There’s a little clicky niggle in my knee, it just clicks with certain movements. There’s a vague feeling of things not being quite right. I can’t decide whether I am worrying unduly. Maybe I should not even play tomorrow. Sounds daft, but maybe I should err on the side of caution.
Sun 6th
It’s FA cup 4th round weekend and there are good underdog performances from Kidderminster and Plymouth, both brave and attacking from the off. Both eventually losing out at the last. It feels like a good narrative for today with a consolation final to play. Whoever wins the other semi final I am definitely the underdog.
With just over three hours before the start I am trying to conjour up an underdog spirit in which I might play as freely as in practice. It would be disappointing to play tentative and lose.
Match review 1-4, 2-4
Warmed up well. Watched some good men’s singles before my match, perhaps should not have watched these as they distract and take energy away. Started slowly first point soft serve returned tamely into the net. This set the scene for the first three games, all too passive and in fast 4 that is nearly the set gone. Rallied slightly to 1-3 and then the set was gone 1-4. Cant quite remember but seem to recall at least a couple of games having game point and losing it.
Second set got to 2-1 ahead and felt like I was getting some sense of control. Held game points in next 2 games but did not convert. At 2-3 I had 40-30. Totally misshit the forehand when going for a pressing shot – snatched at it. At deuce its my point to take the match to a second set tie break or match over. A tame return and the ball was drilled hard into my backhand corner. Match over.
The niggly knee was still feeling vaguely niggly this morning. Took a couple of ibuprofen as insurance, more mental than physical. Made sure I warmed up well. Played match without a second thought about the knee. The niggle seems to have gone away for now.
Mon 7th
Pre breakfast I stretch out my right leg and things feel a little stiff. Immediately I think knee. Then for comparison I stretch out the left leg. Same feeling. Relief.
Thurs 10th
Felt lighter and with better movement than of late. The knee clicking has gone away for now.
Fri 11th
7.30am lesson. Cold morning jog to club in tracksuit, hat and gloves, I can see my breath in the air. Good session. The backhand is at times today effortless and the forehand seems to have gone off a little. We work on the forehand and recovering to spots on the court behind the baseline between shots. Interesting how this takes the focus away from worrying about technique.
The energy and anticipation thinking about the British Open Championships is drawing me towards a second session today. I eventually manage to resist the urge for a second session today.
Sat 12th
Good workout and stretching session. Good concentration throughout session. Resisted the urge to add a run in as well. Have to think building fitness is a gradual process, so good decision.
Sun 12th
I am itching to get back on court today. It feels a long time ago since I was on court. In fact the last time was Friday morning, so it is only really one day. It feels like an age. I take this anticipation to be a good thing.
Fortunately today we are booked to be indoors as the weather is best described as wet. And forecast to get wetter if that is even possible. Proper all day wetness. No one will be playing outdoors today. We have 2.5 hours to look forward to. It’s a good session followed by an excellent stretch session.
Thoughts from these past couple of weeks are;
- The knee niggle seems to have settled down for the moment. Relief.
- Eleven straight days now without a rest and yet energy levels are good. Need to be careful not to overdo it.
- I am getting better at sensing when a racket string bed has lost its responsiveness. It still seems a little wasteful to go for a restring before the string breaks, though this is becoming more difficult as I become more aware of the changes in string bed responsiveness. Agreed to try a thinner gauge and gain responsiveness as I am not breaking strings. I sense that it is time to go back to stringing my own rackets to keep the cost down and allow for a bit more experimentation with string possibilities.
There is a general sense that players are stirring from winter hibernation. People are starting to talk about the season ahead and there have been a few messages asking about county and other matches in the season ahead.
Finally after much deliberation ordered my new racket bag today. Spurred on by the total tattiness of the existing bag and what appeared to be the number of sales seemingly less than last week. Plus there is no way the existing bag should be taken to the British Open Championships. Hopefully the new bag will arrive in time.
