France and Portugal Tournaments

After finishing up 3 weeks of tournaments in the Midwest, I decided to add one tournament before Portugal. I had a whole week in between and I thought it was better to get a few more matches in rather than train for a whole week. It’s also tough to find players to practice with if you arrive too early as most players arrive 1-2 days before the tournament starts. I decided to play a $6400 money tournament in Tence, France. It was a cool place to play as it was held in a small town and a lot of people came out to watch so it was a neat atmosphere.

It was a very quick-turnaround as I arrived in Paris Monday morning, took a 3 hour train ride, and then rode in a car for an hour. I had to play my first match the next day. This was a new challenge for me as I had to deal with jet lag and changing time zones with no time to adjust. I tried to not sleep much on the plane so that I would be tired and could go to bed at a normal time in the new time zone.

The French have a great tournament system where you can play a lot of competitive matches in a short period of time. I was given the rating of -4/6, which is a good level. Thus, in my first match I played someone who was a -2/6 (which is one level below me). I played against a guy from Mexico in my first match. He was a consistent baseliner who liked to control the point with his forehand from the middle of the court. I actually felt pretty good before the match and didn’t feel too tried. I broke him early to take a 3-1 lead in the 1^st set as I was able to attack his 2^nd serve. While serving at 4-3, I lost a long Deuce game on my serve where I multiple chances to finish the game. I broke right back and would serve for the first set. However, I didn’t play a good game and I got broken at 15-40. I wasn’t feeling my serve at this point. He held to take a 6-5 lead. It was almost as if my mind was playing tricks on me as whenever I would miss a ball, I would automatically think that it was because of the jet lag. But you can’t play when your mind is focused on other things. I just tried to control the controllables, and do the best I could. In the next game I was serving at 0-30 before I stepped it up and hit a few big serves. The tiebreak was close in the beginning as we both missed a few shots to make it 2-all. I then started to find my range and played a few very good points to go up 5-2. I split the points on his serve and then closed out the first set with an unreturnable serve 7-6(3). I jumped out to an early lead in the 2^nd set after breaking him in a long 10 minute game to go up 3-0. At this point in the match I was not feeling well and just felt off. But I didn’t show it and luckily was able to get through. I served better in the 2^nd set which helped to take a 7-6(3), 6-1 win. This was not my best tennis but you can’t expect to play well, just give it your best.

The next day I played in the Round of 16 against a 20 year old player from Paris. He is a -4/6, so he is ranked the same level as me. He was a very good counterpuncher who had high-level defensive skills and really good touch. He didn’t have a big serve which gave me a lot of opportunities to break. I started off playing very solid tennis, serving well and getting a lot of free points. I broke him in the first game to take a 3-0 lead. I continued my momentum and played smart where I waited for the right ball to attack. I held for 5-2. He wasn’t really attacking me much, which took pressure off me to wait for the ball I wanted. I broke him again to take a great 1^st set 6-2. I unfortunately lost a long Deuce game in the 1^st game of the 2^nd set. This was the not the start that I wanted as I didn’t want to give my opponent any chances. I broke him right back to even it at 1-1. He started to return very well and he put a lot of returns back deep. We broke each other a few times in the beginning of the 2^nd set. I got broke serving at 3-3 and he went on to hold for 5-3. I got a good hold in the next game to make it 4-5. He was serving for the 2^nd set at 5-4, 30-0 but I managed to string together a few good points to get the break. I got a tough hold in the next game when I came back from 0-40 down and saved numerous break points. I held for 6-5 but played a loose return game as I almost let up a little bit. So we would play a tiebreak. He started off playing lights out and not missing a ball. He hit a great passing shot to go up 3-0. He continued to play smart tennis and I lost a few long rallys. I found myself in a 1-6 hole. I was serving now and I tried to just win the two points on my serve. I did just that and hit two big 1^st serves to cut his lead to 3-6. Now I just wanted to play solid tennis and make him earn it. We played a tough point before I hit a good backhand approach to make it 4-6. And then in the next point I took another long rally. I hit an ace up the T to even it at 6-6. The next point was one of the toughest of the match where we both scrambled to stay in the point and he finally missed a forehand to give me a match point. I hit a solid 2^nd serve return to take a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6(6) win. That was a crazy comeback to win the last 7 points in a row against a good opponent.

In the quarterfinals I played against the #2 seed who was a numbered player and ranked #70 in France. He is older and in his late 20s. He had a big game with a huge 1^st serve and he hit his forehand very big. He also returned very well, and could return it fast at your feet. We both held to start off the match and then he played a great game to break me to go up 4-1. He continued to serve big as I didn’t have many looks on his serve. He broke me again to take the 1^st set 6-1. I started to get a little more comfortable as I held to start the 2^nd set and had 1 break point on his serve. He saved it and then broke me in the next game. He jumped out to a 4-1 lead in this set too. We both held which made it 2-5. He broke me again to close out the match 6-1, 6-2. I played an ok match, I didn’t think I played that badly. But he played absolutely lights out, barely missing a ball. In this match he returned better than any player that I have played against. Credit to him as he went on to win the tournament. Still good to get 3 matches before heading off to Portugal. I also earned $175 for making the quarterfinals.

The 1^st week in Portugal I missed out on making the main draw by one spot. I was the #1 seed in Qualifying. I played my first round against a younger player from Portugal who is 18 years old. He could hit the ball pretty good with his groundstrokes but didn’t really know how to play or construct points. He also had a weak serve which I was able to attack. I started off serving well and broke him right away to jump out to a 3-0 lead. I broke him two more times to take the 1^st set 6-0. I continued to roll and again got the early break to go up 3-0. He had a few game points but I saved them to take the match 6-0, 6-0. It was a good match for me as I stepped in and drove the ball.

In the 2^nd Rd of Qualies I played against a young player from Great Britain. It was a windy day so you couldn’t really play well, just compete well. He had big flat groundstrokes and a good serve. I broke him in the 1^st game and then held to consolidate the break. I then broke him again to take a 4-1 lead. I thought I served well in the wind in this match as it was key to make a high percentage of 1^st serves. I closed out the first set 6-2. I continued to play solid tennis and I broke him again to start the 2^nd set to jump out to a 3-0 lead. I served solid, mixing in the serve and volley. I closed out the match 6-2, 6-1. Another good match to get through, especially in not easy conditions.

In the final round of Qualifying I played against Jonathan Binding from Great Britain. He is currently ranked #1350 and has been playing well recently. He is a lefty with a good lefty serve and he plays an attacking game and likes to come to the net. This was probably the toughest conditions that I’ve ever played in. It was unbelievably windy which made it difficult to do anything. We both got a few holds to open the match, and I got the first break at 2-all. I held to go up 4-2. My opponent played 2 good games to even it at 4-4. He was coming to the net a lot and it was tough to pass him in the wind. We both held our next two games to go to a tiebreak. The first point of the tiebreak I fell pretty hard on my hip. It rattled me a little bit as I fell behind 0-3. I stayed calm and won both of my service points to cut it to 2-3. I then played a few good return points to take a 4-3 lead. I again won both my service points to go up 6-3. He came up with a good volley and a service winner to cut my lead to 6-5. I hit a good first but he responded with a great backhand return to even it at 6-all. I double faulted on the next point before he closed out the 1^st set 7-6(6). This was a tough set to lose as I had a lot of chances. But it was more a mental challenge to go out there and just compete as best I can. It was a strange start to the second set as we both broke each other in the first six service games. Thus it was 3-all and no one had held. I think it was a combination of us returning well, the balls being dead, and it being difficult to serve in the wind. I finally got the first hold of the 2^nd set, which almost felt like a break to lead 4-3. I then broke again to take a 5-3 lead. He played a good return game to break me to make it 5-4. My opponent then responded with a big hold, hitting some good serves. At 5-5, we played a long game on my serve and I finally held after saving three break points. I broke him in the next game at love to take the second set 7-5.We got some much needed new balls for the 3^rd set. We both started to get in a rhythm on our serves as we held our first two service games. He played a solid return game and came to the net a few times to break me for 3-2. He subsequently held for 4-2. I played a good service game to make it 3-4. Then played a great return game to even it at 4-all. We both held after tough service games to make it 5-all. I saved one break point in the next game to go up 6-5. I broke him at 15-40 to take a hard-fought match 6-7(6), 7-5, 7-5. The conditions were brutal and all you could do was compete and play the best you could. I was happy to get this win and qualify again.

I played the next day in the 1^st rd of the main draw. I played against Jorge Blanco Guadalupe from Spain. He played with flat groundstrokes and had a good 1^st serve. I started off returning well and broke him the first 2 games. I held my serve once and got broken once so I had an early 3-1 lead. We both held our next service games and I led 4-2. I would serve for the first set but I got broken at 30-40 in a loose game where I missed an overhead and a mid-court ball. He held to go up 6-5. I was down 0-30 in my next service game but bounced back and saved 2 break points to send it to a tiebreak. He got up an early mini break 3-1 after he hit a backhand passing shot. I won one of my service points to make it 2-3. He then played two solid points to take a 5-2 lead. I split my service points and then he closed out the first set with a service winner 7-6(3). It was bummer to lose this set as I had a lot of chances. We both started to serve better in the second set as break point opportunities were hard to come by. I saved two break points at 2-2 to go up 3-2. We both continued to hold serve. I held to go up 5-4. Then I played a great return game to break him at 15-40 to take the 2^nd set 6-4. I got an early break in the 3^rd set and held to jump out to a 2-0 lead. My opponent took a medical timeout at this point as I could see he was struggling with his movement a little bit. He held his next service game and then I didn’t play a great game to get broken. Thus it was 2-all. We both held our next service games so it was even it at 3-3. He held to go up 4-3. He played a great return game here where he didn’t miss a ball and played very solid. I got broken to make it 3-5. I had two break points in the next game to get it back on serve but he came up with clutch shots. I lost a close match 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3. The difference was only a few points, but credit to my opponent for playing his best tennis from being down a break in the 3^rd set.

My doubles partner (Clement Larriere) and I were set to play doubles the next day as we were the 3 seeds in the tournament. However, he got injured in his singles match and strained a muscle in his hip and couldn’t move. So unfortunately we had to withdraw from the doubles. So I earned $125 for making the singles main draw.

In the 2^nd Portugal Futures, I had a Bye in the 1^st Rd of qualifying. In the 2^nd Rd of qualifying I played against an American, Kevin Le. He was a consistent baseliner who made a lot of shots. He also returned well and good passing shots. I started off well, serving big and playing solid tennis. I broke him early to go up 2-0. I continued to play well and broke him two more times to take the 1^st set 6-0. My opponent started to play better in the 2^nd set. He broke me when I was serving at 2-3 in the 2^nd set. He held to go up 5-2. I got one service hold to make it 3-5. I had two break points to get it back on serve but didn’t convert. He took the 2^nd set 6-3. I regrouped and broke him right away in the 3^rd set to go up 3-0. I started to play better, more aggressive tennis early in the point. I broke him again before closing out the match 6-0, 3-6, 6-1. This wasn’t my best tennis but I responded well after a poor 2^nd set.

The next day in the last round of Qualifying I was scheduled to play Osgar O’Hoisin from Ireland. But I woke up with lower back spasms and couldn’t move the day of the match. I tried to get worked on by the physio and see if I could play but it was too painful. I couldn’t move and I was not able to bend over. I had to make the tough decision to pull out of the tournament. I had planned to play 2 more tournaments in Italy and France but I decided to change my flight and come home early. I took a whole week off to rest my back and get some treatment. It has been feeling a lot better as I have been practicing the last few days. I think it was probably from playing a lot tennis in the last six weeks. I am now preparing to play tournaments in California the next month.

Two weeks ago I broke the top 1000 in singles which was an exciting accomplishment. That was one of the first goals that I had set when I started playing, and it was good to do it in my first year ofplaying. I am also ranked #756 in doubles currently as well.

"Most of what exists in the universe - our actions, and all other forces, resources, and ideas - has little value and yields little result; on the other hand, a few things work fantastically well and have tremendous impact." -Richard Koch

Upcoming Schedule:

September 10-16 - $15,000 Claremont Futures

September 17-23 - $15,000 Laguna Niguel Futures

September 22-28 - $100,000 Tiburon Challenger

September 29-October 5 - $100,000 Stockton Challenger

October 6 – October 14 - $100,000 Fairfield Challenger