Martin's Diary for 19^th November 2009

We got our pennant season of to a good start against Cottosloe, their one of the strongest teams and we had to play them on their ground. I was playing number 1 against a guy who I've never heard of before, he had come over from New Zeland while I was away. I got of to a good start holding my serve to love, but he went one step further by hitting 3 aces in a row past me to start his service game off :). It was my favorite type of match, on grass both serving well and both going for our shots trying to get a break. I made the first break at 4.3 to go on and serve out the first set 6.3. The second set was a different story where I think I got about 5 or 6 points in the whole set off his serve, but I was serving well too and it went to a tie-break. Going into a tie-break against a 6.4 foot guy with a huge serve on grass you can only really do 2 things, look after your serve and go for your returns and hopefully one or two of them will go in and give you a mini break. I didn't drop a point on my serve in the tie-break and picked 2 of his serves right and hit a clean passing winner on both of them to win 6.3-7.6(7.3).

Todd Pleydells younger brothers were playing in the team too. I played doubles with Joel who is the youngest out of the Pleydell's we didn't do as well as Todd and I use to do and lost 6.4-6.4. The team won all up 5.1, so it was a good day all round.

The following weekend we had a home game against Blue Gum. I played Byron Sniffin who I remember I used to play a few times in the juniors when I first came out to Australia. We always had tight matches and heard that he's playing well recently. It was a really windy day and the first set wasn't the prettiest of tennis with the ball blowing all over the place and both of us hitting a few miss hits now and then, but I got an early break and won the first set 6.3 and felt the momentum was on my side. In the second I got a little bit lazy and because I was serving so well I was just waiting for a chance to break instead of going for it and making a break happen. Before I knew it he played a really good attacking game at 4.4 my serve and broke me to serve out he second set 6.4 and take us into a third. The momentum was suddenly with him and he broke me again straight away and at 4.2 down in the third I needed to do something. I did my best to hold my service game to love so that the pressure would be on him very quickly to hold again and made sure to make every return so that if he were to hold he would have to hit a winner for it. He didn't hit any winners but he did become very tense and was just pushing the ball back into court giving me a chance to hit winners. I always have an attitude that I want to either win or loose a match because of me, meaning I either hit winners or make mistakes either way I'm in control. So if he wasn't going to hit winners I was, and I went on to not loose another game and won 6.3-4.6-6.4 :)

Todd had a battle in his match too and won in three sets, and then Tristan and I just won our doubles in three sets. So it was a really tight day but we came out on top with a 6.0 victory! :)

After the first two weeks we were at the top of the ladder, and his Saturday we had to play the number 2 team North Beach. Their head coach is a good friend and who I did the coaching course with, unfortunately he was playing number 2 and I had to play a guy who people had nothing good to say about. We played on AstroTurf which I don't think I've played a match on since I was about 13, it a banned surface at professional level, so don't know how the club got around it being their home court, but it still had a net and lines so I didn't mind that much.
It's a carpet surface with sand on top, so it's like a really fast clay court in respect you can slide on it but it's rubbish because it's too fast to slide on, by the time you stop the ball had already skidded past you lol. Anyway it wasn't the most stable match I've ever played, I ended up cutting all up my arm and o my hand after slipping over when my feet went one way and I wanted to go the other way. I ended up loosing the match 6.3-3.6-4.6. I ct wait to play him at home, I think because his game has adapted so well to these courts, his game on a proper surface would have been poisoned.
I played doubles with the middle Pleydell brother this time, he's a great bloke and will be top in the state soon so I was happy to play with him.
Going into the doubles we were 2 all in matches and a set down, so idealy we needed to win both doubles. They knew that and put their number 1 and 2 together against our 3 and 1, Mith and I. Their number 3 and 4 were still very good players tho and Tristan and Craig ended up loosing to them in three sets, so now we were even on sets but Mitch and I had to win in straight to win the day. There were no breaks in the first wich took it into a tie-break. Mitch and I had the attitude that we were going to either win it or loose it (hit winners or mistakes, and not give them a chance) and that we did, we won the tie-break 7.2 and went on to win in straight sets to win the day :)

I had a really good 21st down on the beach with some close friends. we just had a BBQ and a couple of beers and got perfect weather, so it was a great Birthday. It was really nice spending it with mum and Jenny, the last time we were all together was on my 18th, so Thanks mum for coming out to spend it with me again :)


Martin's Diary for 14^th October 2009

Tristan, who's the guy I coach for at Wembley Downs has given us all a nice surprise. The other day we got some new rackets, shoes, tennis bag, T-shirts, socks, shorts and a track suit all for free :). We could choose which rackets we could have so I just got the ones I use. Everything else is the same as each other as it's specific gear to coach in with "Big Shot Tennis" written on it (Tristan's business) but it's all really comfortable and we can wear it when we like, so feel very well treated and looked after there :). Thanks Tristan!

Brendan Malarky is back in Perth from working in London for the past 6 months. I haven't seen him yet as I think he's been pretty busy getting an apartment here, but now that the summer is here and the sun is out I'm sure that we'll be training a lot with each other over the Australian season.
I had a hit with Tristan Jackson the other day. He's one of the top juniors of the state (top 3) and obviously hits a really good ball. He was a good hit as he's bigger than me and definitely doesn't hit the ball like a junior so I hope to get on court with him a bit more.

I've upgraded my coaching certificate from a level 1 to a level 2 coach. This gives me the qualification to open up my own tennis club and start my own coaching business any where in the world if I wish to do so. I've been really busy the last few weeks with doing all the assignments for that, you have to be competent in the Bio-mechanics of tennis, Business and Marketing, IT, Physical training, Psychology of tennis, Health and safety and have a senior first aid certificate, Injury prevention and there's a few other little bit and bobs they threw in there as well. You also have to be competent in an on court situation to show you can communicate with people and basically be able to coach. I've passed the on court part and just got a couple more assignments to go and I'll have passed it all and have a very handy qualification to full back on if my tennis playing career doesn't go as far as I want it to.

I've cancelled my membership at Fitness First to save some money and I'm now back at the City Beach surf club gym. I went to Fitness First as most of my mates go there and it's got a steam room etc, but now that it's summer, city beach is great as its right on the sand of a really nice beach so after a good workout I just go straight into the sea for a swim, plus Darren and Mark go to city beach so I still have some good training partners :)

Pennants starts next weekend and I cant wait to get on a match court. The whole team is playing well and ready for a good season and hopefully by the end we'll be in the top division in the state/country.


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