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Wow, what a horrible start to the year I've had! I failed to defend my title on Day 0, lost in the first round at the AO... basically a lot of first round matches. Besides a semifinal appearance at the Hewitt Harcourts, where I lost to my friend stevos14 in a nailbiting third set tiebreaker, everything has been awful. I even ended up entering a Teir IV- something top 15 players should never do- in order to try to gain back some rhtyhm. I won the touranament, only to lose the next tournament in the first round.
So, yes, when I arrived in Belgium to play at the Henin-Hardenne Open, most the questions I received from the press were based upon these terrible results. It is actually quite strange... last year, I had a dream year, and then I suddenly drop over eight spots within the first quarter of the season? Sorry for mentioning these depressing results so often, but I have to get it out of the system... at least this week's result was a bit more satisfying.
I checked out the draw, and saw that I would play Phobe first. I knew that Phobe, being a serve and volleyer, wouldn't be as proficient on clay than on faster surfaces. So, during my hitting session with PSALT, I worked on basically keepint the ball deep, hitting with lots of topspin, and it worked out during the match, even though a few untimely frames cost me the first set. I managed to rebound, though.
I had Bizet next, who I played against many times last season. Again, it was a three set affair, with him using his powerful serves and volleys to catch me off balance in the second set. I managed to vary my shots enough though, alternating between high moonballs, low short-angled slices, drop shots, etc., and it did get into his head in the third. I pullled it off 6-3 in the third to play Stragonoff in the semifinals.
There, I got off to a clumsy start, double faulting twice in both the opening game and closing game of the first set to lose it 6-3. She was playing very steady tennis, and I wasn't making the best of choices (that bounced-too high dropshot too many times). Late in the second though, she, I think, lost her focus a bit though, and hit a few bad misses into the bottom of the net, and that was enough to turn the match around for me. I had won 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to make it to the finals, where things wouldn't be just as simple.
What makes Tricatrina stand out against everyone else is not her strokes, for they are not really weapons, to be honest. What makes her special is her ability to never miss any lobs or dropshots. Unfortunately, for me, this was the case in the final. I gave a good fight in both sets, but, in both sets, her superb drop shot won herself breaks, and that was enough for her to win it.
I'm very satisfied with my showing though... not only did I nearly win a Teir I in this awful season I have had so far, but I managed to actually hold some points in the Entry Ranking (for once). Not so satisfying though... I went to check the draw online for the Nadal Claycourt Championships, and guess who I have in the first round? Tricatrina. Hopefully, the outcome will be different this time around.
Oh, almost forgot, I watched Andrea Chénier on Saturday at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, the leading opera company of Belgium (I can just see stevos14 and the others rolling his eyes when they read this ). I love the opera, and it was done in fantastic fashion.
Anyways, it's already midnight... talk to you in Spain! Hasta pronto!
x.doublea
The real André Chenier whom was executed just three days before the French Revolution came to a hault.
). I love the opera, and it was done in fantastic fashion.
