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La Costa Resort and Spa offers volunteer opportunities
Carlsbad, Calif. — The 2011 Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, July 30 to Aug. 7 at the La Costa Resort and Spa, is looking for volunteers.
The women’s professional tennis tournament returned to Carlsbad in 2010 after a two-year hiatus and volunteers played a vital role before and during the event. Once again this year, volunteers are needed to fill a variety of positions during the tournament, including: Guest Services; Tickets and Gates; Ushers and Media Center. Local residents familiar with North County San Diego are also needed to serve as Tournament Transportation drivers. Training for each position will be provided.
“We are looking for energetic volunteers to help make this a successful event at the La Costa Resort and Spa this summer,” said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. “Being a volunteer is a great way to become part of our team and to get involved in this fantastic community event.”
According to Giscafre, one of the common factors for successful professional tennis tournaments around the world is having a strong core of dedicated volunteers.
“Enthusiastic, committed volunteers are crucial to the success of an event like the Mercury Insurance Open,” Giscafre said. “We have been fortunate to have a great group of volunteers in the past and we hope to continue the tradition this year.”
Tournament volunteers should be at least 18 years of age and able to work a minimum of four shifts during the event. A shift is approximately five hours. Volunteers will receive a uniform consisting of a tournament shirt and sweatshirt. They will also receive one meal per shift.
“The volunteers who contribute their time and dedication to the tournament are invaluable,” said Gail De Weese, a Carlsbad resident who serves as the Mercury Insurance Open Director of Volunteers. “They are our lifeline. There are many benefits to being a volunteer at this event. You get to meet new people, spend the week at the beautiful La Costa Resort and Spa and you’ll get to see the world’s best tennis players battle for the Mercury Insurance Open title. ”
Tennis experience or knowledge of tennis is not required to be a volunteer, only a desire to help fans, players and officials have a more enjoyable tournament experience.
Anyone interested in being a volunteer at the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open should fill out a volunteer application form, which is available under the “Get Involved” tab, Volunteer Information at mercuryinsuranceopen.com. For more information, call (760) 930-7031.
The Mercury Insurance Open, a Premier 700 WTA event offering $721,000 in prize money, will feature a 56-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw in 2011. The women’s professional tennis event returned to the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad in 2010 after a two-year hiatus. Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova won the singles title last summer when she defeated Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the final. The tournament will be televised on the Tennis Channel and ESPN 2.
The Mercury Insurance Open is a participating tournament in the Olympus US Open Series. The US Open Series, now in its eighth year, is a six-week summer tennis season that links 10 ATP World Tour and WTA tournaments together. The series leads into the US Open. The Mercury Insurance Open is the second women’s event within the series. For additional information about the Mercury Insurance Open, log onto http://www.mercuryinsuranceopen.com/, join us on Facebook or follow frequent updates on Twitter.
Carlsbad, Calif. – Individual tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open Presented by Tri-City Medical Center, July 30 to Aug. 7, at the La Costa Resort and Spa, tournament officials announced today.
Reserved grandstand and box seat tickets, which range from $10-$125, are now available online at mercuryinsuranceopen.com or through Ticketmaster. Tournament ticket packages are also on sale now and begin at $70.
“This promises to be our best tournament yet, so we encourage tennis fans to purchase their Mercury Insurance Open tickets early,” said Raquel Giscafre, Mercury Insurance Open tournament director. “Tournament ticket package sales are already ahead of last year and we certainly don’t want fans to miss the opportunity to see great women’s professional tennis.”
Defending US Open champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium will headline the 2011 Mercury Insurance Open. Clijsters began the year on a strong note by winning the Australian Open singles title.
The main stadium at this year’s Mercury Insurance Open will seat 5,000 fans. “With a small, intimate stadium at the La Costa Resort and Spa this year, the atmosphere is going to be fantastic and fans are guaranteed to be close to all the action on court,” said Giscafre. “We also have a full line-up of exciting special events scheduled throughout the week.”
The Mercury Insurance Open Kid’s Day, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 1, is free for children with the purchase of an adult ticket. Groups of 10 or more will receive a 50% discount on individual grandstand seating on Tuesday, Aug. 2.
The Santa Maria Comcast Open, one of the most competitive tournaments on the Central Coast, brings together the Open elite and tennis fanatics.
Everyone is so hyped up on what racquets and shoes the pros are wearing, at the Santa Maria Comcast Open I decided to paparazzi the semi-finalists to see what gear they were working with.
#4 seed, Brett Joelson, currently 318 in the world for doubles and 1256 in singles, used the Head Youtek Speed 18×20. His strength and passion on the court made him a threat to those in his draw. Nevertheless, his Nike Air Court Ballistec 2.3s only got him so far, losing in the semi-finals to champion, Roman Borvanov.
 Brett Joelson NAIA All-American, Alessandro Ventre, battled to the semi-finals using the original AeroPro Drive. This Brazilian showed he didn’t need new technologies to make him a tough competitor. He brought a Nadal-like game and speed to the court wearing the Asics Gel Resolution 2.
 Alessandro Ventre USC Trojan Gary Sacks, the #6 seed and currently 1312 in the world, battled up to the finals with his Head Youtek Radical Midplus taking out the #2 and #3 seeds along the way. His one-handed backhand brought beauty to his game while his Nike Lunar Vapor Tours gave him the speed on the court.
 Gary Sacks Roman Borvanov, the #1 seed and currently 654 in the world, took the tournament with ease using the Yonex RDiS 100 midplus. His game matched his outfit, pristine and untouchable. He wore the Asics Gel Challenger 7, showcasing his perfect footwork that set him up for exemplary shots. His debonair manner on and off the court was a pleasure to watch and talk with.
 Roman Borvanov From what I could tell, most of the men in the tournament weighted their racquets with plenty of lead and strung them up with poly. I’m not sure of the other players, but I heard from a friend that Roman uses Signum Pro Poly-Plasma 17g at 50/51 pounds.
Overall, the players came in with sophisticated fashion and professional attitudes that made it an amazing weekend for tennis.
Peace Sign,
Kana
In the end, the fans were partying like it was 2009. The finals for both singles and doubles may have featured different match-ups than last year, but the results were much the same: Sam Querrey won the singles (defeating Andy Murray), and the Bryan Brothers won the doubles (defeating Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer). For the first time in the tournament’s 84-year history, defending champions won in back to back years.
By winning this latest event, the Bryan Brothers captured title No. 62, overtaking the newly inducted Hall of Famers Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde for most doubles titles. Becoming the greatest doubles team of all time? CHECK!
Here are just a few pictures of the 2010 Farmers Classic, seen through my eyes. (Click on images to expand.)
 Ernests Gulbis signing a few autographs for the fans. He stayed and signed for every fan and took pictures with whoever wanted one.  James Blake showed signs of life, reaching the quarter-finals before losing in 3 set to Feliciano Lopez. Damn you, Lopez! *Shaking fist*
 Do not adjust your screen! This picture is in fact, blurry. I tried to zoom in as close as I could to get this picture of Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett (1st row, sitting next to the lady in the hat). He was supporting his friend James Blake. As KG walked off the court and the PA announced his presence, most fans applauded, but a few booed. KG clapped his hands and laughed it off.  A few of the TW staff hard at work. Based on this picture alone, it appears some enjoy it more than others.  Venus Williams stopped by the tournament to promote her new book and to sign autographs. She just so happened to sit in front of a TW banner. How'd that happen?! What a coincidence! Venus was super nice to her fans, who all paid $26 for her book and autograph.  Again, sorry for the blurry image. This is a picture of the "Samurai". The cheering section for Sam Querrey in the finals. Loud? Yes. Obnoxious? No.
 Does it look like I'm actually on the court? Because I practically am! Thank goodness for hook-ups. This is a pic of the Bryans playing in their 100th final. 10 minutes after I took this picture, they took the match. These next 3 pictures were taken on the final day of the tournament and within a few hours of each other.
 Yup, that's American Idol judge Randy Jackson at the TW tent. He walked in and said, "Tennis Warehouse, this is Americas shop right?" Randy was very cool and easy to talk to. He wanted a racquet, so we got him the Babolat Aero Pro Drive GT, strung with RPM Blast. I was the lucky one who strung it for him. He kept saying to me, "This is the man right here," and "Thanks, dawg." I should've auditioned for him right then and there. It would've jump-started my floundering singing career.  Forget match.com, the Tennis Warehouse tent is where it's at! This young couple just got engaged in our tent. The guy came up to us early in the day and asked if we would help him propose to his girlfriend. They met 4 years ago at this tournament and so he wanted to propose here. He gave us the ring, which was in a tennis ball. Once she purchased something, we were going to hand it her like it was a free giveaway. Once we gave her the ball, he dropped to one knee, said all that mushy, ooey gooey stuff and proposed. And, yes, she said "yes." I was so nervous for him, I couldn't get the picture of him when he was down on one knee. Too busy wiping tears away, I guess.  Because of the relationship between the Bryans and our own Danny Castro, the brothers made a special stop by our tent to take a picture with us after their victory. It was super cool of them to do that, especially on a day when they made history. The Bryan Brothers are definitely two of the most humble, down to earth tennis stars I've ever met. It's just too bad their doubles career never really took off. From the celebrity sightings to the weather to the autograph signings to the on-court outburts (see Alejandro Falla vs. Ernests Gulbis), to the record breaking finals, the 2010 Farmers Classic had all the elements to make it a memorable tournament for me. I laughed, I cried, it was better than “Titanic.”
I can’t finish off this blog without the most important picture. Last but not most definitely not least:
 The hardworking TW staff. Until next year….
Jason, TW
 The Tennis Warehouse tent This week I’m blogging from the TW retail tent at the Farmer’s Classic pro tennis tournament in Los Angeles. Be sure to stop by and see us if you head to the tournament. At the TW tent you can score some great deals and meet our friendly and knowledgeable staff.
A staple event of the LA sports calendar, the tournament is now in its 84th year. This ATP event is now known as the Farmer’s Classic, but it has gone through more name changes than Sean “Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, Diddy,” Combs. Formerly known as the Countrywide Classic, Mercedes-Benz Cup, Pacific Southwest Championships and the LA Open, the Farmer’s Classic is an ATP 250 event.
One would think or assume that because this tournament is on the lowest tier of the ATP events, it would not attract big named players. Up for grabs is a mere 250 ranking points; Rafael Nadal probably has more loose ranking points lost between his couch cushions at home. But the list of past winners reads like a Hall of Fame ballot. Names include: Jack Kramer, Fred Perry, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker and Andre Agassi. Not too shabby wouldn’t you say?
Taking place at the intimate setting of the UCLA Tennis Center, this tournament allows fans to get up close and personal with the players. There isn’t a bad seat in the main stadium and the lonely practice court lies adjacent to the food court. You could grab a burger and go sit at a table 2 feet away from the practicing players and have yourself a nice $50 lunch, but with a priceless view.
This year, the top players include: Andy Murray, Sam Querrey, Ernests Gulbis and Feliciano Lopez. As good as the other players may be, there is no doubt that this tournament is Andy Murray’s to lose. The dark horse would have to be James Blake. James Blake?! Ok, I guess I mean dark, dark, dark horse. This is more of a pick from the heart than it is from the brain, I know. But if he could find a way to play points like this, then he’s got a legitimate shot.
 James Blake ripping a forehand The Farmer’s Classic might be small on the venue and light on the ranking points, but it’s big on being fan friendly and heavy on the level of tennis. I’ve been at this event for the past couple years and have seen some high quality matches and points. As the official retailer for the tournament, Tennis Warehouse will be here for at least the next couple years, and hopefully, so will I. So come on by and say hi to the TW crew at our tent, get yourself a ridiculously overpriced burger, and watch some of the world’s best tennis players duke it out.
 TW Crew with Feliciano Lopez Have any of you made it out to LA for the tournament? What have been some of your experiences?
Jason “J Hua, The Forehand, J” Huang
 Andy is seen here with doubles partner, Alexa Lee. July 12, 2010
San Luis Obispo, CA — Medford, OR
Had a great time down south over the weekend at the Tracy Austin Doubles Tournament, where I won the mixed doubles championship and lost in the semifinals of the men’s event. It was a flip-flop in results from last year’s showing, when I won the men’s and lost in the finals of mixed. This year’s mixed finals pitted my partner and I against the two-time defending champions, and the team that I had lost to last year in the finals, and it felt good to get some sweet revenge! And though we lost in the men’s draw in the semis, it was still some great tennis and a great learning experience. We played a former collegiate standout and touring pro who had made it up to around 200 in the world in doubles, and his partner who is one of our nation’s best juniors, who had just returned from competing in the boys event at Wimbledon and is getting set to join the USC men’s team in the fall. We lost 7-6 1-6 6-4, and though we were disappointed about not the getting the win we were very pleased with our performance and learned a great deal.
As I previously mentioned, in the mixed final we played the same team that I had lost to in the finals last year. The guy was a former UC Santa Barbara standout, a tall, looming adversary who could bomb the serve and had great hands around the net. The girl just graduated high school and is taking her talents to Loyola Marymount University in the fall. She is a very talented player with great hands around the net and excellent doubles instincts, and I believe she has a bright future ahead of her and she continues to mature and develop her game. We came out a little slow in the first set, getting broken a couple times early on, battled back, but came up short in a tiebreaker in the first set 7-6 (7-5). However, this only seemed to light a greater fire in both my partner and I, and we responded by grabbing an early 5-2 lead in the second set. After a slight hiccup on my serve, our opponents fought back to 5-5, but we quickly righted the ship and closed out the second set 7-5. The second set’s twists and turns seemed to take the wind out of our opponents’ sails, and we started off strong, slammed the door, and closed out the match with a 6-2 third set win.
 Andy and Alexa are seen here with their winner's check after taking the mixed title. It was a sweet victory for me on a number of levels. First of all, I have to thank both my partners, Jordan Bridge and Alexa Lee, for competing their butts off and having so much fun on and off the court. It was an emotional day for Alexa, and to go out and compete the way she did in the finals was an awesome effort. Many times throughout the tournament she played the stable, solid, reliable partner, settling my temper a bit (which can tend to get out of hand sometimes), playing smart and solid at crucial times in the match, and leading us to victory. At only 19 years old and to have the talent and increasingly maturing mind for the game, she will be very successful in the coming years.
For me, it was a blast winning a title at the club I grew up at, and winning the mixed for the first time. It’s a neat experience to be competing so hard out there in my twenties, and being able to look around the club and see the old junior clubhouse where my friends and I would always hang out, or the snack bar where I ate countless meals that my parents would probably not have approved of when I was 10 years old. Dozens of people were watching courtside that have been there for practically my entire tennis career, including two teaching pros who first put a racquet in my hand at the age of three, and other friends and family who have seen me grow up through the years. Having my mother in the stands too is always special, as she has been my number one cheerleader for my entire life. I greatly appreciate her love and support for me, which is always evident by her enthusiastic yelling and thunderous hand clapping. I know that the fire and passion that burns inside me when I’m on the court comes from her extraordinary zeal and passion for life that she shares with the world everyday, making her such a positive influence on the world around her. For that, thanks Mom!
Following my brief layover in San Luis Obispo, I have a 12-hour drive ahead of me today back up to the beautiful Pacific Northwest, as I head for a friend’s house in Medford, OR. I will be staying there for a couple days, doing some hiking around Crater Lake (a place I have always wanted to see) and getting in a couple of good hitting sessions as I prepare for my next tournament which begins Thursday in Salem, Oregon. I will be playing singles, men’s and mixed doubles, so smart preparation and good care of the body is a must. Stay tuned for updates from the road as I head north!
-AG
PS. Some people have requested a full list of the upcoming tournaments I am playing, so here they are…
July 15-18: RDAdventures Salem Summer Classic (Salem, OR)
July 20-25: Pacific Northwest Championships (Tacoma, WA)
July 28-Aug. 1: adidas Open Tennis Championships (Portland, OR)
Aug. 3-8: Washington State Open (Seattle, WA)
I am in the process of scheduling the tournaments following these…
 Andy (far left) poses for a picture after winning the men's doubles title with his partner (far right) and the tournament director (center). Week of June 27-July 4, 2010
I apologize for the delayed update following the tournament in Oregon. Since the tournament was packed into seemingly two days following my Friday afternoon first round singles match, I was going non-stop until the last match of the tournament Sunday afternoon, when my partner and I won the Men’s Doubles title. On Sunday afternoon I began my 11-hour journey back to San Luis Obispo, where I spent the next three days moving out of my small house in which I have lived the past three years of my life, taking the final steps toward closing one chapter of my life and beginning another. It has been a busy week, but now I am ready to focus all my energies towards training this next week and preparing for a busy stretch of five tournaments in five weeks.
The tournament in Roseburg this past week went very well following the good week in Chico. I traveled with the guy who I played in Chico in the first round of qualifying, the good friend of mine whom I grew up playing with in my hometown. We took separate cars up to Roseburg, but split a motel room in town and played doubles together in the tournament. It’s very common to find traveling partners when on the road for weeks on end, someone who you can pass the time with and share some of the costs of living. It can be nice to find someone to travel with from time to time and save one another from the loneliness that can set in with so much time spent away from home. Often times you only have the company of only your own thoughts and maybe a book, iPod, or computer you use to entertain yourself.
Results wise, I could not have asked for much better from only my second tournament back, and the first one that held the added pressure of me knowing that these tournaments are now my only paychecks coming in. They are no longer just an added bonus on top of my main source of income. This is one thing that is new to me, but I could only imagine that most professional players struggle with this pressure from time to time. This is now your well being on the line; your ability to travel, to feed yourself, and to find a place to rest. If you win, you can go to Mexico next month and play the three tournaments you need in order to qualify for the bigger tournament in a few months. You lose, and now you’re back home, eating rice or pasta two meals a day, trying to figure out where the next paycheck is coming from. I realize this is a bit of an extreme scenario, but these are the pressures that most professional players that haven’t “made it” yet struggle with while on the road. Your only hope of succeeding is to learn how to deal with that type of pressure, to learn how to put it aside at 4-4 in the third set and focus on what it is that you need to do in order to win the next point.
Otherwise, the fear becomes crippling, tightening every sinew of your body as you step up to the line to serve. Your mind becomes clouded, as your thoughts race through your head at a million miles a minute, and you observe them like you would observe all the cars sitting in the stands at a NASCAR race, as blurs of colors rush past you in a un-recognizable whirlwind of colors. Your palms sweat, and the grip becomes slippery in your hand. Your heart races, pounding under your shirt as it all of a sudden becomes the loudest noise in your eardrums. Your mind struggles to find a clear thought in order to take control of the situation, but all you can think of is the possibility of losing this match, and the terrible consequences that would follow. At this moment, the instant you step up to serve or return and all of these things begin to happen, that is when champions are set apart from all the others.
A champion stills their mind, and out of the un-recognizable haze of thoughts the one or two emerge that are needed to win in this instant. A champion calms the mind and focuses intently on these one or two simple cues. They breathe deeply, relax, and slow the heart rate down to the point where they can have perfect control over their muscles. They find the perfect harmony between relaxation and intensity. A champion knows what it takes at this moment to win, and focuses on the thoughts that gives oneself the best opportunity to execute what it is that needs to be executed at that moment, whether it be a game-winning shot, the perfect throw, or a well-placed serve. A champion knows that no matter how great a chance they give themselves to succeed in this situation, the outcome is always in the hands of fate, and sometimes they fail. Kobe Bryant doesn’t make every game-winning shot he attempts. Peyton Manning doesn’t always make the perfect throw during the two-minute drill in the fourth quarter. But they are able to give themselves the best opportunity to succeed, and are at peace with the possibility of failure. One missed shot or one interception will not take away from the unwavering confidence these champions have in their incredible capabilities in influencing the outcome of a game or match. Champions always give themselves the best chance at succeeding in the toughest moments.
Our new and two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal epitomizes what it means to be a champion. I believe he is the mentally toughest player of this generation (including Roger Federer, whom he has beaten in 5 out of 7 grand slam finals). I have full respect and admiration of Roger Federer, who I would have to say is the first or second greatest player of all-time (along with Rod Laver). However, I believe Rafa is the more mentally tough of the two. His ability to always raise his game at the perfect time, along with his ability to compete so hard and with so much focus and determination point in and point out, is unbelievable. His mental toughness, coupled with the 8 grand slams he has already won by the young age of 24, will give him the opportunity I believe to become even greater than Roger. The only thing that can slow him down is the physicality of his game style, and the toll it takes on his body. Working as hard as he does from point to point is so incredibly taxing on his body. He will have to sustain an awe-inspiring level of strength and conditioning in order for him to stay somewhat injury free, something he has struggled with since the beginning of his career.
Next up will be a good week of training back in San Luis Obispo, followed by the Tracy Austin Doubles Tournament, beginning this Friday in Palos Verdes, CA. I will be competing in both the men’s and mixed doubles draws, both with partners from the Cal Poly men’s and women’s teams respectively. Check back later in the week for training updates from SLO as I prepare for the upcoming tournament…
-AG
 June 25, 2010
Call me strange, but I often enjoy long drives by myself, getting lost in some good tunes and my own thoughts. Yesterday I made my way from Chico, California to Roseburg, Oregon in a little over five hours. The sights and sounds of the drive become a big part of your life on the road as you spend countless hours traveling from city to city, for tournament after tournament.
I set out heading north from Chico on Highway 99, a two-lane highway that passes through sprawling farm country, dominated by the rice and almond fields that make up a large part of this farming community. The 99 weaves its way through the farmlands, periodically running through tiny towns which couldn’t contain more than a couple thousand people each, consisting of a general store, a couple gas stations, your locally-owned roadside diners, and maybe a fast food drive-thru or two. The pace in these towns seem to follow the speed limits that govern it, slow and listless as you slow to a crawl, getting a better look as you traverse through these neglected road-side whistle-stops.
After what seems like a travel through time backwards 30 years, the 99 leads you to Interstate-5, the largest highway in the west that can take you all the way along the coast from Mexico to Canada. After a little more farm country, Mt. Shasta suddenly looms in front of you, and the grassy plains beside the road turn into lush, majestic forest with countless towering fir and pine trees. The road turns into a winding highway as it carves through the forest, always in the shadow of the snow-covered Mt. Shasta peak to your right. I thought a picture stop was necessary as I crossed the bridge of the incredible picturesque Shasta Lake.
More beautiful views of Mt. Shasta await as the road winds through the Siskiyou National Forest, and you cross the Oregon-California border. Beautiful rolling hills extend as far as the eye can see in every direction, absolutely covered in these enormous trees. You can feel the shift from the California desert to the more mountainous terrain of the Pacific Northwest. The air becomes cooler and fresher, the clear blue sky is now changing into a mix of white and grey clouds. The flat highway of California in the middle of the flat, grassy plains shifts to a winding mountain road that carves its way through the forest, gaining and losing elevation with every twist and turn. The colors that dominate the world around you change from a pale yellow and brown of the dying summer grass to a rich forest green, met by a deep blue cloud-lined sky. It’s about 8:00 in the evening as I reach Oregon, and it becomes a race against the setting sun to my left as I continue heading north.
A couple things dominated my thoughts along this five-hour drive, and since I had no one to share them with on the road I figured I could share them with you now. A big part of becoming a successful tennis player is goal setting. Your outcome goals (rankings, match and tournament results) provide a destination, and your performance goals (take strides in different parts of your game) become the road map on how to get there. As I set out on this journey of becoming a professional tennis player, my ultimate outcome goal was to be the first Cal Poly tennis player of the modern era to participate in a Grand Slam. My coach and I set up a number of performance goals for the summer months in order to take my game to the next level, and kind of left the outcome goals open to see what things I might begin to desire as I set out on the road. After participating this past week in the Chico Futures, I realized the outcome goal I wanted. I want to work my butt off, and in a year come back and win the tournament that first got me started on this journey. It’s a clear vision, and one I hope to use to guide my training and travels in the coming months. After seeing the level of play and the level of commitment required for this accomplishment, I think this goal is difficult but attainable.
Roseburg is a small roadside town right in the heart of the Umpqua Valley, with a little over 20,000 residents. A lot of motels for weary road travelers making their way up the 5 line the side of the freeway, along with some fast-food and standard American chain restaurants. I sit now in my room at the Howard Johnson in town, waiting for my 4:00 first round singles match. My doubles partner (who I am sharing a room with) and I will head out for a light hit later this morning, and perhaps get a glance at our afternoon opponents. Life is slow here in Roseburg, and even slower for two tennis players in town for a tournament, with nothing to do but prepare for the matches ahead. Stay tuned for updates from the Umpqua Valley Open.
-AG
June 24, 2010
Through some more good fortune, I will able to make it into the main draw of the doubles here in Chico. A friend of mine who I had not spoken to in almost ten years saw my name on the singles draw and knew that I was in town, and contacted me via Facebook to ask me to play since we were both searching for partners. Due to his doubles experience (he has been playing on the Futures and Challengers circuit for years), we were able to receive a wildcard into the main draw, where we were set to play another familiar foe, a good friend of mine in the top 300 in the world in doubles.
We started off strong in our match, taking an early 5-3 lead in the first set, but got a little tentative late in the set and ended up losing the first in a tiebreak. Second set, same story. We stormed out of the gates to a 5-2 lead, before once again letting our foot off the gas pedal a little bit, and falling once again in the second set in the tiebreak, losing the match 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6).
Like I have previously mentioned, it’s how you respond to tough matches (and especially tough losses) on the road that make or break you. Do you put your head in the sand, lose confidence and begin doubting yourself? Or do you realize that because the match was so close, there were many things that we did right, and by learning from the couple mistakes that we made we could become even better? I prefer to see things in the latter context. I admit, I am disappointed and upset we lost the match. We had great opportunities to win both sets, and it would have been a very nice first win over two very accomplished players. However, I look at the match and realize how close the level really is, and by continuing to work hard, improve, and keep a positive mindset, with a little bit more experience those matches will begin to go my way. It was very encouraging for me to see that I am right in there with experienced players on this circuit, and gave me confidence that my keeping up my work ethic and positive attitude I will be climbing the rankings with them soon.
Next up today is a five-hour drive further up Interstate-5 up into southern Oregon, where I will be playing an Open tournament (anyone can enter) in Roseburg, OR. Though the Open events do not offer opportunities to obtain ATP points like the Futures tournaments do, they are great because they typically have more prize money than the Futures events, and it is great experience picking up matches against very good players. Action is set to kick off tomorrow, so I will arrive there this afternoon, get a good practice in, and be ready to go for my match at 4 pm on Saturday. I am the #2 seed in the singles draw, and the #1 seed in the doubles draw, so I am excited for big things over the weekend. I will be playing doubles and traveling with a good friend of mine, the same guy who I lost to in a tight match in the opening round of qualifying here at the Chico tournament. We have never played doubles together before, but we know each other’s games and personalities very well, and I think we will make a very formidable team.
Going into the weekend I want to stay positive, and though the expectations are a little higher for this tournament than the one I previously played, I need to maintain a relaxed intensity throughout the tournament. It’s important to keep a level head, not getting too high when you win a couple matches, and not getting so down when you lose a tough one. You must view every match as a learning experience, and realize that each opponent on each given day will have its own unique obstacles, which can only make you better with the right attitude. Stay tuned for updates from the Umpqua Valley Open in Roseburg, Oregon!
-AG
I can now say that I’ve spent a whole day at Wimbledon. Yes, my first experience at the All England Club. Not to mention that it’s my first experience in Europe, let alone London. From spending what seemed like one day running into the next traveling (wait, it was one day running into the next!), to learning about how to use the Underground “Tube” for cheap easy transit, to figuring out which coin is which when using the currency of “£.” Then trying to do the quick math of how much I actually spent in US dollars. Jason! where are you when I need you?!
After a night that felt like no sleep (jet lag) and now that we (my fiancée and I) had discovered the ins and outs of the Tube, we were off to Wimbledon. The Grand Slam of all Grand Slams. Out of the Southfields stop and walking into the gates, I was in awe. Wimbledon and John McEnroe were the two reasons I became interested in tennis. With a camera in hand and two hours before the first match on Centre Court, we had some exploring to do. (Yes, we were very fortunate that some VERY good people helped us out with tickets on Centre Court.) First stop, Henman Hill. Or Murray Mount, whatever your preference. With a beautiful sunny day hovering around 80°F, it was already filling up with spectators getting seats and sun in front of the big screen. Next we walked by Court 19, where Flavia Pennetta would soon be playing. Right across the walkway, Sam Querrey was slated to play. We kept walking past some more outside courts and came up to Centre Court. It was just shy of two hours before Serena took court. We had plenty of time to cruise the grounds and get some pictures.
12:30 pm. We can’t wait any longer. We saw the order of play for the day and knew we’d get to see both Men’s and Women’s No. 1 players today. First up, Serena Williams handled business without trouble against Michelle Larcher De Brito. Her big serve and big groundstrokes are rather impressive. Next up: the Bull. Rafa Nadal took on Kei Nishikori. A straight set victory with dominating groundstrokes off both wings. No surprises there. However, I must say I really like Nishikori’s crafty game. Though it was a straight sets loss, it was much more competitive than the previous match. Lastly, Robin Soderling took on Robbie Ginepri. All I can tell you is that Soderling CRUSHES the ball. A big guy with even bigger strokes.
After that, we walked the grounds a bit more and caught bits and pieces of some of the outside court matches, then called it a day. We probably would have stayed a little longer if we didn’t have…wait for it…tickets for Wednesday as well!!!!!
Cheers!
Spencer
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