7.30am

A good night’s sleep and some words of wisdom and encouragement from my coach via text and I feel a whole lot better, ready to face another Delhi day…

9.30am

Just finished practice and my racket cracked in two places on a backhand return…hope its a sign that I’m striking the ball well as opposed to bad luck! My legs feel a little heavy today, this is going to take a superhuman effort to find some energy.

12.15pm

Well I won 3 and 2, but it wasn’t pretty! Couldn’t crack an egg today so just hustled and ran and ran. Only hit about 6 winners in the whole match,3 dropshots, a forehand angle pass and a good lob, and then an huge backhand line 2 metres out of court with legs flying everywhere followed by a Lleyton Hewitt style celebratory come on!I enjoyed that one at least even if the rest of the match was pretty average! Now just recovery and rest before tomorrows semi-final.

3pm

Hotel room now represents a chinese laundry, clothes and socks have been persil tablet-ised in the bath, squeezed in rolled up and twisted towels and are now hanging on every available surface. For future reference, socks dry fastest on lampshades! I’m off to the gym for bike recovery and a good stretch, and then to the spa for plunge pool and….the luxury item of a massage. Last night I came straight from the courts into the gym so had no dry clothes to put on after the shower and asked the staff if I could have a robe to put on just to get me back to my room. So I came out of the spa wearing the ridiculous robe and funny little slippers they give you if you are having a treatment(which I wasn’t), hair wet and resembling a small lion, and generally not exactly looking or feeling a million dollars, was actually shaking where I was so tired. The manager of the health club chose this moment to introduce himself along with the assistant and wanted to know all about me and my matches and how my stay was as he had heard a lot about me from the other members of staff. He said that I was now part of their family, and nearly looked it because I had turned so brown!!!I showed him the colour of my feet, however, which have the worst trademark tennis player tan line, and he laughed and laughed and pointed at them and got the other staff to come and see! Still chuckling to himself he said that it is important that I recover well and they would like to give me as much massage as I need, for free. Vamos!

8pm

I am a new girl! Massage was incredible and my legs and my mind feel a whole lot better. I’m ready to do battle tomorrow now…bring it on!