Monte Carlo Classic.
My trip to Monaco this year started in a very stressful manner. I thought my flight was at 2.50pm and so at 9.30am I decided I would double check the time and realised I'd looked at my arrival time. My flight was set to depart from Liverpool 45min away at 11.35am. It was a mad rush to finish packing, get dressed and leave. I had rackets with no string in but just packed them and left. I got to the airport at 10.30am and so made it in time for my flight....luckily. Everything else went to plan. I arrived into Nice without problem and had a hit before going for dinner and chilling out in the evening after a stressful day.Monday was a relaxed day. I watched qualifying and had a hit with Latasha. I switched rooms in preparation for Danny coming on Wednesday. I managed to get my rackets re-strung at the local shop and so that was a weight off my mind. 1st round tomorrow against Lauren Siddall.
Tuesday, match day. I had a hit and then chilled out in my room. Watched a DVD and read abit. The time flew by before I left to watch the matches at 5pm. I was on at 7pm. The matches were really late and so I went on just before 8pm. I played well. Made a good start and managed to take the 1st 11-6. The 2nd I hit a few tins to start and went 6-2 down. I got my discipline back and played well for the rest of the game sneaking back until 10-10 and eventually won it 12-10. The 3rd I made another good start, 6-0 up and then won the match 11-5. I'm pleased with my performance. I felt relaxed and calm and now I play Dom in the quarters at 6pm tomorrow night.
Wednesday. I had a close call with a very large seagull this morning after it decided to try and finish my spag bol at 8am this morning. I'd left it on my balcony after eating it last night and forgot to bring it in. I decided after it flew off when I opened to glass doors to try and bring my bowl in..... a scary experience with the seagull circling overhead on the look out for his breakfast. After my scare I managed to get back to sleep for an hour before breakfast for me and then a hit with Latasha at 12noon. I had lunch and waited for Danny to get here. He arrived about 3.30pm and I showed him around abit before I went back to relax for an hour before going to the courts. I was on last and all the matches had gone to seed. I made a good start and went 5-0 up. That gave me a good lead to build on and I gave a few points away towards the end of the game but won it 11-7. The second wasn't as good. I dropped my pace and went to the back wall alot more instead of staying on the volley and setting up the drop and volley drop. I was 8-6 down and came back well to win the game with 4 good rallies and won it 11-8. The 3rd was my best. Very concentrated for the whole game and volleyed well. Set up some good volley drops and drops. Won the 3rd 11-2. Pleased to be in the semi's against Camille tomorrow. Pizza and pasta night function tonight with our hosts Monaco squash.
Semi Final day against Camille Serme. I had a good hit and a relaxing day. I was the 2nd match on after Madeline had secured her place in the final after beating Isabelle 3-1. I did a good warm up and was feeling good. Camille made the better start. When we got going I felt a bit flat. She was hitting a good length and getting onto it early and playing some good drop shots. I wasn't doing enough. I was on court but just hitting, not thinking and not playing with any aggression. I went 5-0 down in the 1st and eventually lost it 11-9. The second was better squash. I played better rallies and didn't get a bad start but I was still quite flat emotionally. I had game ball at 10-9 and then again at 11-10, I put an easy drops shot that probably won have won me the game in the tin. She came back well and I eventually lost the game 13-11. I got a firing up by Danny after the 2nd game. He just tried to tell me that I needed to put out my top ten level. I got a bit angry and started hitting through the ball better and therefore moving better. I won the next 2 games playing a lot better with a higher intensity 11-5, 11-6. So, the 5th game..... I made and ok start but so did she. My pace wasn't as high but I was still playing better than the 1st two games. Camille played really well getting a better length than me and hitting good short shots. She got a lead of 5-3 and 7-4. I came back a bit but not before she got to 10-7. We had a massive rally at 10-7 and I think I just relaxed a bit. I hit a forehand volley drop winner (probably the only one of the match) and then got a stroke to go 9-10. We had another long rally and I just tried to stay in it. I then miss hit a back hand drive and it dropped really short and Camille couldn't reach it. That levelled me at 10-10. Very lucky but I could relax a little. I put a good rally together to win it on a boast and went 11-10 match ball up. We had a long rally and I was determined to won it knowing she wouldn't go for anything stupid. She did hit a good forehand length though and I dug it out high and it went down the middle. I was just trying to get out of the way so not to give a stroke away when it hit the nick (between the back wall and floor) and died. A terrible way to win the match and completely lucky but she then argued saying she hit the ball after it died but the referee ruled in my favour agreeing with me that the ball had died before she hit it.
She was so disappointed and I walked off the court quickly and got out of the court area. She was distraught and crying. I felt bad the way I won the last point but I thought I showed guts and steel to win the match by putting 3 out of the last 5 points I won together as well as I did under that pressure. I live another day and tomorrow play Madeline in the final. Maybe it's an omen. Last year I was match ball down against Camille and won the match and then the tournament. The final is at 7pm local time on Friday night.
I got up feeling a little bit tired after my long match against Camillethe night before. I was glad I had most of the day to chill out and get some more recovery in before the final. The match was at 7pm. I did a solo and a little hit with Danny about 12noon for around 45mins and then we got some lunch. I'd been watching Ground Hog Day the movie the night before and fell asleep so we finished watching that before going to the courts about 6.40pm for my warm up. I did a good warm up and hit a few balls. My legs were feeling much better and I really wanted to make a better start that I did against Camille the day before.
I made a great start in the 1st game. Very aggressive on the ball and hitting a great length and then taking it in short well. I think I took Madeline abit by surprise. I won the 1st 11-5. The second was abit tighter. Madeline got with the pace abit and we were level upto 9-9. I played a good rally and got 10-9 gameball. Another long rally and it finished with a very lucky stroke in my favour to give me the 2nd game 11-9 for a 2-0 lead. The 3rd was tough, I think I lost my aggression abit and the match became alot more 50-50. It was tight and she had a couple of gameballs before she won the game 13-11. I didn't have any matchballs which was a relief! The 4th was terrible from my part. I went on trying to re-group and Madeline changed her tactics abit. She got onto the ball more and attacked better. It took me completely by surprise and before I knew it I was 9-1 down. I got one more point back before losing the game 11-2. Not a great way to finish a game going into the 5th. Again, I tried to re-group. Get a better length and be aggresive. Madeline started the 5th as she finished the 4th. I was 6-1 down before I got hand in and said to myself "don't panic, you were 7-3 down yesterday and just keep in touch points wise and anything can happen". I played alot more steady and creeped back to 6-6. A stroke gave me 7-6 and then I never looked back. I felt Madeline go negative and I just wanted to push through to the finish line. I won the match 11-6 in the end and was the champion. I don't know quite how that happened but I was very pleased! So after the presentation we went back to the room, changed and went to celebrate at the function put on by Monaco squash. It was a great night and a great way to finish the year!!!