Quick First and Second Round Matches 67
This morning I read that the great American runner, Steve Prefontaine, would have been 65 years old today. He had said: “Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.”
Tennis Competition
California, Here I Come 23
For those of you who have been following my tennis journey over the last 16 years , you are probably expecting to read about my annual ambivalence about putting in the work again.
Gold in the Louisiana Delta 21
I often write that I have redefined winning in a way that almost every match has wins. The sweetest of wins is when all that is important to me comes through in the big matches, the finals of the National Championships.
A Winning Day Despite a Loss and, Today, a Chance for a Gold Ball 102
Over the years I have learned to redefine winning to include the way I play, the effort that I give, the attitude I maintain, the responsibility I take, the appreciation for my opponent, how I react after the match, the way I am with the one who has defeated me and the resilience with which I bounce back.
Stumbling Across the Finish Line 20
I love the challenges of managing my stories.
Short and Long 27
Rushing out to dinner with friends so this is just a report of results, which, for me, is a bit unfulfilling.
Slipping and Sliding: A Return to the Dirt 20
I felt that my mental and emotional training was really strong. Since the move to Boulder I have been excited about every moment of every day. And I am feeling so happy. I can’t imagine a better mindset for going into a competition.
I have always believed that if my life is good, my tennis will be good.
So I arrived excited, happy and eager to observe the state of my tennis. Winning is always important to me but it is far from the only thing. I want to play well.
Novak: The Master of Preparation and Resiliency 42
What I took away from this match was all about Novak’s ability to prepare to bounce back from lost points and to bring his very best to the most important moments.
Who has ever been as resilient as him. He gets up for the mat after being knocked down like no others before him. He is a real life version of Rocky.
Roger vs. Novak Once Again 12
My hope and thought is that this match has the potential of being like the first Rocky vs. Apollo fight. A fight where both landed a knockout punch to end the match.
Tennis though can’t end like that. Someone wins the last point.
Serena: The Princess and the Pea 87
You are the best ever. You lost because you were beaten by a better player on that day. That is what happens in sport. It is about today. Your rhythm was thrown off because of any extra day due to the rainout? Your opponent didn’t play the way your two prior opponents played? It was hard to play with the pressure of having to win the Grand Slam? You were tired from so many matches?
Are you Princess who cannot sleep because of a pea under the mattress?
As Roberta Vinci said in her post match interview after beating Serena, I am sorry.
I am sorry Serena but I need to write about you and disappointment I feel.