Emily's Blog

Saturday 15th August

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:40:49 GMT

6.30am

Woke up before alarm and immediately knew I had a final today, felt awake instantly. Its Indian Independence Day today and the whole city is on high security alert I have just read in the papers, and its a national holiday. Lets hope the tuk tuks are functioning as chaotically as usual! Just peered out the window and its raining though, lets hope it doesn't stick around, I’ve got work to do even if the whole of Delhi hasn’t.

11am

Well the rain disappeared long enough for me to have a good hit with the number one seed from the men's tournament who grinned at me when I asked if we could start short in the service box. Guys never do this, girls always do, its the same with cross courts in the pre match warm up, its a girl thing!He obliged and we had a good practice, I then walked onto the match court and warmed up with my opponent and we had got to volleys when we got rained off for the first time. So we had a 40 minute break and went back on, this time getting through the warm-up and 2 whole points of average quality before the rain really came, and now I’m back in the hotel drinking tea and wondering if it is going to stop all day. I just want to get on with it!

1.25pm

Just got asked out for dinner by an Italian guy player who I met yesterday at the courts, he didn’t waste any time! I accepted his offer though:) Rain looks like its subsiding and we have a start time of 2pm so last minute preparations of Gatorade,grips and hair and then back to the courts which are bound to be surrounded by a mud bath by now. Let’s hope this is the last time I have to go back there!

5.30pm

Gutted. Sad. Bitterly disappointed, and very very tired. I could have won, I should have won, but I didn’t. I lost 7-6 6-2 having been up a break in the first and having had 3 set points in the tiebreak. I was playing the better tennis for most of the match but as we well know, that doesn’t ever guarantee winning. There wasn’t anything left in the tank today, at 1-0 in the 2nd I threw the ball up to serve and my legs just gave way when I tried to push up from the floor. I did everything I could with what I had, but losing still hurts. A lot.

7.45pm

I’ve been trying to change my flight from Monday to tomorrow for the last hour, just want to get out of here now, but it seems there’s no availability on the Dubai to London leg of the journey so it looks like its one more day in Delhi for me. But without stepping foot on a tennis court methinks! I cancelled on the Italian for dinner tonight telling him that I am not good to be around when I have lost (it’s true, I can be utterly antisocial at times) but we have re-arranged for tomorrow night, let’s hope I’m in a better mood by then! I still feel pretty down but I spoke to Mum and Dad and my coach and they made me see that I had had a great 2 weeks and that winning 14 out of 16 matches in 12 days was a pretty good effort. Maybe I did ok after all…

10.30pm

I’ve been packing and sorting things in my room, and I took down my goals sheet which I had stuck to the mirror when I first arrived. Two weeks ago I walked into my coaches office to talk about this trip and he asked me what I wanted from it. My reply was to win both tournaments. He laughed and said ok in an ideal world yes, of course. And then showed me the piece of paper on which he had written 11 things for me to think about while I was away, that included enjoying being healthy and competing again, and some technical and tactical things that we have been working on. It also said that ultimately I had put in a great deal of hard work over the last 6 weeks so what would determine the success of the trip would be my mental state- tolerance, acceptance, patience and perspective. Not my strong points I can assure you! But this time I think I have had and needed all four of those qualities at different times, and yes, I think they have determined the success of the trip.

There was a number 12 a little further down the sheet….8 singles wins, 1 singles title, and 1 doubles title. I wanted to win both tournaments which would have been 10 singles wins, he wanted 8, we got 9…..how’s that for a compromise?! Oh, and then there was the titles….

11pm

Delhi diary…over and out.

Friday 14th August

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:49:38 GMT

8.15am

Woke up to rain so maybe it will be cooler today. I’m on 2nd after 10am so can read the papers over breakfast and coffee, perfect!

11.15am

Or maybe not! Still so so humid. Couldn’t find anyone to hit with by the time I left yesterday and was a little worried, its one of the disadvantages of travelling alone that you don’t have the coach to fall back on to hit with. But there was a few players still floating around, so jumped on with the Japanese girl, and had a good 30mins practice-was seeing the ball quite well today and feel ok physically. Now just want the other semi to hurry up and finish, I’m nervous.

3.30pm

I made it through, just. 7-6 4-6 6-2 in nearly 3 hours. Felt pretty drained of energy at 2 all in the second which is not ideal, but found something from somewhere-just heart I think! Or a bit of south-west grit!I stripped oncourt at 1 set all, changing my top and then putting shorts on underneath my skirt before taking that off aswell. I couldn’t face the filth of the portaloo or be bothered to walk there and have gone past caring what people think! Think the Indian street people peering over the wall got the shock of their lives! I did play well in parts today but it was too up and down, there was lots of runs of points and games in both our favour, I will need to play at a more consistent standard tomorrow. But that’s tomorrow….haven’t had lunch yet, can’t think of anything I feel like eating, that match really took it out of me today.

7pm

Repeated the same recovery process as yesterday as it seemed to work so bike, stretch, plunge pool, massage, and now just preparing things for tomorrow and resting. The referee just called because of the situation I am in with the $25,000 in Belgium next week. Basically I am 3rd on the qualifying list and the sign in is today with qualies starting tomorrow so obviously there is no way I can get there to play. However, if I were by some miracle, to move into maindraw I could make it to Belgium to play Tuesday as it is only 3 and a half hours drive from London and Mum has offered to take me in her car. This was looking quite feasible if the 2 special exempt spots had not be filled, as I would have been first in qualifying with 18 hours or so before it starts for someone to withdraw, however they are being used for 2 other players who are coming from other events so I’m still 3rd on the list. Everything will be confirmed tomorrow, but its very unlikely I can play there, which is a shame, but perhaps I’ve had enough matches for a few days! The referee also told me he has arranged for me to practice tomorrow with the number 1 seed from the boys event that is next week, but has qualies starting tomorrow. How good of the referee is that? I’ve been so well looked after here, the people are so lovely. I hope the poor guy’s ready for me and my warmup!

7.30pm

Forgot to say that the cleverest thing happens when someone calls the phone in the hotel room like the ref just did……The phone rings and when you pick up the television goes automatically onto mute, and when you put the handset down, the sound comes back on again. How cool is that? Absolute genius idea, god knows how that works, technology baffles me!

9.30pm

And so my thoughts turn to tomorrow. Match number 16 in Delhi. One more match to win to do the double. Can I? I really really really want to.

Thursday 13th August

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:19:52 GMT

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!

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:47:23 GMT

Thursday 12th August

10.50am

I just won 3 and 1,opponent started out absolutely swinging and I was a bit worried at first but worked my way into it and knew she couldn’t keep it up.She was then sick on court from the heat at 0-3 in 2nd set. I was feeling it a little today too, but coped pretty well. This is by far the most humid day since I’ve been here, everyday has been hot and humid but this was crazy.I couldn’t play 1 point without going to the towel to wipe the sweat from the grip. Its probably the toughest conditions I’ve played in, and that’s including Vietnam, Borneo, the Gold Coast, and parts of Florida. The awful air quality doesn’t help either, I dread to think what I’m breathing in. Back on at 12.30 so porridge and a banana and as much fluid as I can!

3.30pm

I won 3 and 2, but it was tough. She had points to go 4-2 up but I held on and then we had a 30 stroke rally which I won to go 3 all and it destroyed her. Literally. The point hurt me too,but I was damned if I was going to show it. She on the other hand walked to the chair, tried to call a medical time out and then was sick from the heat! If I wasn’t too busy trying to win, I would have laughed…two opponents in one day playing in their native country both sick against me! I must be making some balls in the court! That was the turning point, and although she tried medical timeouts, toilet breaks and making me wait for a ridiculously long time to serve, I was having none of it. The heat was almost unbearable and I wanted to get off court. What did annoy me at the end was that she barely shook my hand, girls do this quite a lot, and it’s wrong. No matter what happens out there on court, there surely has to be some acknowledgment of respect for being in a head to head battle with each other?You don’t see it with the guys ever, even at the top level, there is always a proper handshake and a look in the eye and a word or two, if not a pat on the stomach or slap on the back aswell! Anyway….I’m on for doubs in 30 minutes, trying to do the best I can to recover and find some energy from somewhere to face the heat again.

8pm

:( We lost on a champions tiebreak and I am gutted, feel really down about it for some reason. Sasha was very tired after 2 long matches today so I did all I could to keep her going and try and do as much of the work as I could. I was tired too, mentally more than anything, probably from 13 matches in 10 days! I could feel my resistance to being frustrated slipping but just tried to keep fighting. But it wasn’t enough. I probably ended up trying to play too well and tried to force things to happen. Maybe it was just unlucky 13th. Not that I’m superstitious or anything….

Got back to the hotel at 7ish, feeling pretty shaky but did bike recovery and plungepool and drank my 18th and 19th bottles of water. Yes really. Actually a few have been gatorade and electrolyte drinks but either way, that’s got to be a record for fluid intake! I have to eat something but I don’t feel like it at all, gone way past that. Feel pretty ropey, am absolutely shattered and could do with a hug…I’ve got to get my head round doing it all again tomorrow, I have to find something from somewhere, I want to win so much. First, just sleep.

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:46:04 GMT

Tuesday 11th August

8.30am

Woke up after 10 whole hours straight, and feel much better and more lively. What is wrong with me, I never sleep this much!

10.50am

Just finished practice with Sasha my doubles partner. It is incredibly humid today, we were both struggling to hold the racket where the grip was soaking within minutes. Warmed up with the sponge ball against the wall before the practice and got many stares and questions….care factor zero,I know why I need to do it and what I’m working on, I’m not bothered that it’s the type of ball that I used when I was five!

12 noon

Absolute monsoon rain! One minute I was watching the match that I follow go to a set and 3-1, the next minute a huge torrent of water had appeared and with no shelter at the club I made a run for it into a tuk tuk, where the streets were in complete chaos. Nearly 6 inches of water fell in 20 minutes, and it seems the whole of Delhi are celebrating. I, on the other hand, am not! I just want to play my match….

3.15pm

Ref said I would be back on at 2pm, I was thinking that was a little hopeful on his part, unless there were a hundred Indians squeegying the courts. (I’m not sure they even have squeegys here come to think of it!) Arrived at the club at 1.45pm and within seconds of me being there, the monsoon began again, and I mean really began.It was the biggest rain I have ever seen! Absolutely soaked for the second time, the tarpaulin roof over the watching area by the courts caved in and a waterfall was created onto us. Ran to the official onsite hotel (which is an absolute hole) waited for half an hour or so and then we were informed play had been cancelled for the day. No s**t sherlock!Then ensued a pretty scary journey back to the Hyatt, with nearly a foot of water flooding the roads in parts and total mayhem with the traffic. What amazed me the most is that the drivers don’t even flinch about ploughing through nearly a foot of water in their cars, tuk tuks or mopeds, they just get on with it. I felt like we were going to need the chitty chitty bang bang car with inflatable sides at one point but the tuk tuk man did not fail me, we made it in the end, if only a little worse for wear!

7.30pm

Headed to the gym once I had changed for the fourth time today, and did some sprints on the treadmill to keep the legs firing, and then the usual core, injury prevention with the bands and recovery on the bike and in the spa. I’m on at 9am tomorrow and there are 2 rounds of singles scheduled and 1 doubles so could be a long busy day. Rice and mackerel followed by an early night methinks….after I’ve spoken to home. Happy Anniversary Mum and Dad! They’ve been married for 36 years, now that deserves a trophy!

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:40:57 GMT

Monday 10th August

8.15am

Woke up and feel dopey and lethargic. I always feel like this after a rest day, I think they are overrated! Christophe my trainer always makes fun of me on Mondays at Sutton because my legs do not function during speed and agility like they do the rest of the week, and I always get in a bad mood becuase I do not like feeling that I am not sharp or moving well. Anyway…the show must go on.

3.30pm

Practised this morning with my doubles partner on a court that has only 1 foot of runback on one end due to a scaffolding tower randomly positioned on the court. If that doesnt make me get up the court and take the ball early, I don’t know what will! Then won our first doubles after being points for 0-3 down, it was 3+1 so no drama required after we woke up and got involved in the match. Craving peace and quiet, feel a little fed up, I think the city is getting to me a little…

7.45pm

Just read my book for 3hrs straight in complete silence in my room, was heaven. It is now finished, and has given me lots to think about and reflect upon. Must stay focussed for tomorrow, I don’t feel nervous at all, and this worries me! Maybe this is called confidence??!

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:56:33 GMT

Sunday 9th August

7.30am

Ahhh, was meant to be having a lie-in but I am incapable of sleeping in,I always have been since I was little. I think I just get excited that the day is here! What to do, what to do-Sunday mornings are my favourite at home, not so good when you’re away. At least I can have something different for brekkie now that the superstitious pre-match routine can be broken for a day!

10.30am

Leisurely brekkie and a flip through the papers in the lobby, there’s a few articles about me winning but I feel slightly ridiculous reading them, will wait till I’m back in the room!Waiting for a photographer to arrive to do the photoshoot that I am getting paid for. Wearing non tennis clothes for the first time in a week, quite nice to be girly for the day!

3pm

Just got back from hard bargaining over what I would be worth,1hr photoshoot and lunch with the guy….on him. Got through it, just, the photos seem to have turned out ok, and the cash can go towards my hotel bill, it all helps. Time to chill.

7.15pm

Resorted to watching the golf on the television and it sent me to sleep for 3 hours!Can’t believe it, didn’t know where I was or what day it was when I woke up, must have been more tired than I thought. The day has flown by, time to start all over again tomorrow….

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:27:36 GMT

Saturday 8th August cont…

5pm

Not sure I’m very good at this relaxing lark…couldn’t keep still laying by the pool, and neither book, ipod or spanish textbook was entertaining me enough. There were also nine million flies which were driving me insane!Went for a swim and am now drinking coffee, finding it hard to switch off, could do with a glass of wine. Had a few moments this afternoon when I felt a little down that I didn’t have anyone here to share the moment with and celebrate my little success but then all the messages from home filtered through and I felt a bit better. I think I might be just tired.

8pm

Had an unbelievable massage and am feeling very chilled. It was a toss up between the massage and the chicken and I opted for the massage, then when I came down from the therapy room the gym/spa staff told me it was on the house to say congratulations! Such a nice gesture from them, I nearly cried…what an earth have I done for all these good things to be happening to me and for everyone to be so lovely? Now I can order the chicken!

10.15pm

Its finally just hit me, everything has caught up with me and I am tired now. Really tired, mentally more than anything. My work is done and its been a good day and a good week, but I’m only halfway…..

Singles Final Day - Sat 8th Aug 2009

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:23:43 GMT

Saturday 8th August cont…

11.30am

I won I won! 6-1 6-1..happy bunny! I was expecting it to be a lot tougher than that, was ready to fight! My game plan of giving her no pace and no rhythm worked perfectly, she hated it. I felt like I was doing the no winners drill that we sometimes do in training, just running and making balls. She was tired and didn’t have much left in the tank, shame for her that I wasn’t tired at all and was ready to run allday! Maybe it was my recovery in the Hyatt that was better?Or my training, or my preparation, or just my day? We will never know! Had a little presentation of the trophies for singles and doubles, a few interviews with some reporters and lots of photos. Made a speech and thanked every one I should have, picked up my prizemoney and got the hell out of there back to the haven of the hotel. 9 from 9, job done!

12.45pm

Did my warmdown and stretch and the gym staff wanted to take pictures of me with them and the trophies. Just spoke to Mum and Dad and they are very happy for me, at least Mum can relax for a day or two, she gets so nervous when she knows I am playing a match, and has been virtually operating on Indian time as she can’t sleep when she is worrying! Sorry for that Mum, please try not to be more jetlagged than me by the end of this trip! Dad’s off to play cricket, and I’m off to relax by the pool for the afternoon, that is, after I’ve wrung out all my socks that are currently soaking in the bath with a persil tablet…oh, the glamour!

Delhi Diary cont…

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 08:22:01 GMT

Saturday 8th August

7am

Didn’t sleep well, woke up every hour or so and don’t feel rested. Am nervous and not in a good mood.

9.15am

Feel pretty good physically, thought my legs would feel heavy today but they aren’t, didn’t have a great practice though :( timing all over the place. Trying to remember it has no bearing on what is to come. Its hot already and although I just changed into my matchkit am still sweating a lot. Gatorade check. Ice bags check. Water check. Sweatbands check. Visor check. 2 towels check. Raisins check. Handgrip powder check. Rackets newly gripped, strung and stencilled-check. Ok, I’m ready to do battle.