I requested to play the 2nd set of matches.My body is still in Cali time- 3 hours behind. So my body thinks 8 am Eastern time is actually 5 am. I have not hear much about my opponent except that she has played 3-4 tournaments on the pro circuit last year. Most the players seem to be young- very very young.
Women's circuit is very different form the men's in the age of the players. Majority of the girls are in their teens
.I practice for about 30 minutes and get warmed up. The trainer also stretches my shoulder which acts up once in a while.
I have to say that i am a bit nervous.This comes from lack of playing matches. I enter the court and start out the match by receiving serve.I barely make unforced errors and soon I win the first 4 games. The fourth game was a very long one when she rushed to the net and put away a volley winner to win a game. I then stepped it up and wont he set and the match 6-1,6-1. My kick serves worked very well and I felt good overall.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
15 May 2010
The sign in starts at 3 pm when all qualifying players register themselves. While I was registering,I was pleased to see Bunny and Missy, the USTA circuit supervisors there.They remembered me instantly and we spoke like it was a decade ago.Their warmth and affection is so contagious.
Malika and I struck a cord and practised together. She goes to Oklahoma State University is just 18 years old.
I get drawn against a player from USA and will play 2nd match after 9 am on 16th May.
Malika and I struck a cord and practised together. She goes to Oklahoma State University is just 18 years old.
I get drawn against a player from USA and will play 2nd match after 9 am on 16th May.
14th May 2010 5 pm EST
I arrived at the Harrisburg International Airport. The tournament had arranged transport for players to be driven tot he tournament site. We waited for one of the other players, called Malika.I thought she must be a fellow Indian, but she turned out to be an African american teenager called Malika Rose. As soon as we started speaking,I knew we would get along.
Once we got to the courts, Malika and I decided to practice a bit before we went to the hotel. There was a tornado warning in the county and sky darkened like it was doomsday. Rain poured down and that was that....
I checked into the tournament hotel which was a bit expensive for such a small tournament. While I was on tour years earlier,I would call ahead and try to find family housing. I have had lasting friendships with families I have stayed with before.But now,all I want is a quiet room.
Once we got to the courts, Malika and I decided to practice a bit before we went to the hotel. There was a tornado warning in the county and sky darkened like it was doomsday. Rain poured down and that was that....
I checked into the tournament hotel which was a bit expensive for such a small tournament. While I was on tour years earlier,I would call ahead and try to find family housing. I have had lasting friendships with families I have stayed with before.But now,all I want is a quiet room.
14th May 2010
Its 3:30 am and before the alarm rings,I am already up.I have never been a good sleeper. Insomnia runs in my blood. On tour, there were days when I could not sleep without popping a sleeping pill. The time differences and jet lag were not helping either.
My flight to the East Coast is in 2 hrs. I took a long look at my baby, sleeping in her bed. I feel a pang, a sense of sadness to leave my sunshine for a few days. Then I tell myself " Its just 4-5 days until I see her again".
While Sanjeev was driving me to the airport, my mind is racing over the checklist of things that have to be done with my academy.I send a few texts and some e-mails from my phone. As my plane soars, I start dreaming of competing again. That is the one thought that keeps a player going, the excitment and the adrenalin rush one feels before a match. To go there and give it all you have....
I have been training for a few months now. My training regimen is very different from what it was 10 years ago. I play tennis about 4 days a week and each session is not more than 2 hrs. I lift weights to stay injury free and run long distance for stamina about once a week. My main aim to come to the best of my game and stay healthy and injury free.
My last competitive match before my comeback was in 2003 US Open qualifying.I was done, burnt out from the travel and tired of playing with a sore shoulder every match. That seems eons ago.
I played a 50K in Pune last year and faired decent.I had a good win against a Slovenian ranked in the 400s before losing to Tamarin Tanasugarn. The redeeming factor in that match was that I had lost to Tammy in Fed Cup by the same scoreline a decade ago, like nothing had changed.
Back to present- the 10ks are the tournaments you start with when you have no ranking. The bottom rung, the first step of a tennis pro ..... and here I am in the qualifying draw of a 10k in Pennsylvania. In US, the draw sizes are humungous, with 3 or 4 rounds to qualifying into the main draw. So if I were to win this tournament, I would have to get past about 8 matches in a week. 8 matches in a week........one step at a time baby.
My flight to the East Coast is in 2 hrs. I took a long look at my baby, sleeping in her bed. I feel a pang, a sense of sadness to leave my sunshine for a few days. Then I tell myself " Its just 4-5 days until I see her again".
While Sanjeev was driving me to the airport, my mind is racing over the checklist of things that have to be done with my academy.I send a few texts and some e-mails from my phone. As my plane soars, I start dreaming of competing again. That is the one thought that keeps a player going, the excitment and the adrenalin rush one feels before a match. To go there and give it all you have....
I have been training for a few months now. My training regimen is very different from what it was 10 years ago. I play tennis about 4 days a week and each session is not more than 2 hrs. I lift weights to stay injury free and run long distance for stamina about once a week. My main aim to come to the best of my game and stay healthy and injury free.
My last competitive match before my comeback was in 2003 US Open qualifying.I was done, burnt out from the travel and tired of playing with a sore shoulder every match. That seems eons ago.
I played a 50K in Pune last year and faired decent.I had a good win against a Slovenian ranked in the 400s before losing to Tamarin Tanasugarn. The redeeming factor in that match was that I had lost to Tammy in Fed Cup by the same scoreline a decade ago, like nothing had changed.
Back to present- the 10ks are the tournaments you start with when you have no ranking. The bottom rung, the first step of a tennis pro ..... and here I am in the qualifying draw of a 10k in Pennsylvania. In US, the draw sizes are humungous, with 3 or 4 rounds to qualifying into the main draw. So if I were to win this tournament, I would have to get past about 8 matches in a week. 8 matches in a week........one step at a time baby.
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