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Stabekk U18 ITF Grade 5, Day 5

Tuesday 5th November 2013

After the disappointment of not getting into the doubles yesterday, Zeki had some good news today while 2nd seeds Alex and Antonio came back from a set down to move into the ¼ finals.

In order to get a good practice session in this morning we had to be up early and get the first bus of the day to the tennis centre at 6.49am. Alex and Zeki were a bit weary eyed but once we warmed up we had a good session from 7.45 – 9am where we worked specifically on doubles drills.

When we came off court Zeki heard that one of the doubles pairs might be pulling out and, as him and his partner were the only team that signed in as Alternates, they would be the first to take their place. After confirming the withdrawal with the referee, Zeki and Francisco were placed in the draw and their match was scheduled for 6th match on court 5. It just goes to show that it’s always worth staying that extra day just in case someone pulls out of the singles or the doubles.

Over the next few hours we watched some of the main draw matches and I went through Alex’s singles match with him before it was time to warm up for his doubles match.

Alex and Antonio went on court at 1.15pm to face the British pair of Troy Dixon and Peter O’Donovan and despite a slow start which saw Antonio get broken at *1-1, they fought back to break, hold and break again to take a *4-2 lead. The first 6 games had been quite scrappy and the inconsistency continued as Antonio was once again broken after being *40-0 up. Despite some interesting tactics from Peter and Troy, including Peter serving and volleying while Troy stayed behind the baseline, the rest of the set went with serve until they got into a tie-break. The breaker was just as scrappy as the rest of the set; Peter and Troy took a 4-2 lead and then had 3 set points at 6-3 before Alex and Antonio fought back to level it. Antonio then threw in a poor double fault which allowed Peter to serve it out to take the tie-break 8-6.

Alex and Antonio took a toilet break at the end of the set and when they returned they looked a lot more focussed. They broke Peter and 1-1* and then broke him again on a sudden death deuce point at 4-2* to take a commanding lead in the second set. Antonio had been struggling to hold serve in the first set but by now he was more determined and played a good game to hold to take the second set 6-2.

By the time the boys started the match tie-break it was obvious that Alex and Antonio had the momentum in the match and they managed to maintain their level to take a 4-0 lead. Peter and Troy managed to get the next couple of points back but Alex and Antonio played some very good doubles to eventually take the deciding set 10-3.

The match was just over 2 hours long and after talking through the match over lunch, Alex went into the gym to complete his fitness programme just as Zeki was taking to the court at 4.30pm.

Zeki had been desperate to get into the doubles at the start of the week but unfortunately when the match started neither him nor Francisco Caldas played to their potential. They were playing against a good pair in Tiago Cacao from Portugal and Markus Nordby from Norway but they just didn’t seem to get going throughout the match. Francisco was broken twice in the first set and even though Zeki held both of his service games the boys lost the set 6-2.

 

Zeki and Francisco Caldas (POR) vs Tiago Cacao (POR) & Markus Nordby (NOR)

The boys then made a strange decision at the start of the second set which I think really knocked them down – Francisco insisted that he served first despite not holding once in the first set . . . and was broken to Love. That really set the tone for the set and even though Francisco did manage to hold serve at *0-4 it was a little too late and Tiago and Markus went on to take the match 6-2, 6-1.

Zeki was disappointed after the match and even though he knew his partner had not performed well he also knew that he can play a lot better than he did. One of the big factors during the match was the number of sudden death deuce that were won by both teams – there were 8 in total and Zeki and Francisco only managed to convert 1 of them.

Zeki and I had a good chat about the match while he stretched out in the gym and then after he had showered and changed we left the club to get the 6.21pm bus back to the hotel – just the 11 hours at the club today!!

We were joined at dinner tonight by Luke Simeone and Dan Little and it was again very entertaining to see everyone get very tight over a game of cards! Luke decided the forfeit would be to ask the girl behind the bar for her telephone number . . . and then he lost in the final to me!

Schedule for tomorrow:

Sebastian Hawken (NOR) & Casper Ruud (NOR) vs (2) Alex Hagon (GBR) & Antonio Sabugueiro (POR) – 6th match after 9am (2nd match not before 1pm)

Stabekk U18 ITF Grade 5, Day 4

Monday 4th November 2013

It was a good day at the SEB Arena in Stabekk today as, despite a loss to the top seed, Alex produced a good performance and for a large proportion of the match had his opponent very worried.

We started the day with breakfast at 6.30am before getting the 7.19am bus to the tennis centre. When we arrived, Alex and Zeki signed in for doubles and then warmed up from 8-8.30am before we got on court for Alex’s pre-match practice session. Alex has been hitting the ball very well since we arrived on Friday and he continued to find a very good level throughout the warm up this morning.

 

Alex and Zeki warming up this morning

 

As Alex was scheduled for 3rd on today we had quite a lot of time after he had finished hitting to prepare for his match and also watch some of the other first round matches. Then, at just after 11.30am Alex went on court to face top seed and his doubles partner; Antonio Sabugueiro from Portugal.

Despite a ranking difference of over 400 places Alex started the better of the two players; he was very aggressive from the back of the court and dictated play in almost every rally which resulted in him breaking Antonio in the opening game. Alex was then broken straight back but he immediately raised his level to take a *2-1 *40-15 lead and looked in full control of the match. Unfortunately Alex couldn’t hold onto his serve in that game and despite continuing to play at a very high level he wasn’t able to convert any of the game / break points he had in the following 4 games.

It must have been difficult to be 6-2 down after playing so well but after a toilet break at the end of the set Alex came out fired up and ready to start again. Alex once again took control at the start of the set and, in a similar way to the first set, he led *2-1 *40-0 but he again couldn’t convert when it really mattered. Each game from 2-2* until the end of the match was very close and it was obvious from Antonio’s body language that he was struggling to deal with the level that Alex was producing. The only problem was that Alex once again just could not convert the game break points that he had. Throughout the whole of the 2nd set Alex had a total of 13 game / break points but could only take 3 of them which resulted in Antonio taking the match 6-2, 6-3 in almost 2 hours.

When we spoke after the match Alex knew that he had put in a very good performance which is always a massive positive but he also knew that if he had been able to capitalise on the amount of opportunities he had then he could have taken the match. It was a great learning experience for Alex who was playing a top seed for the first time and hopefully he can now build on that in the doubles to prepare him for the Liverpool ITF in a couple of weeks.

Despite a lack of practice courts at the club today Zeki managed to get on court from 2.30 – 3.30pm with fellow Brit Lucas Taylor, who did not play today due to being drawn against a qualifier. Both boys worked hard for the whole session and it gave Zeki and I another chance to work on some specific areas of his game that he had been struggling with.

Zeki serving against Lucas during their points this afternoon

 

While we were on court we found out that unfortunately Zeki and his partner didn’t get into the doubles but there is still a chance if they sign in as Alternates tomorrow.

After the session Alex and Zeki cooled down and stretched out before we got the bus back to the hotel. The plan was for Zeki to do some school work before dinner but I’ve got a feeling that most of the time was spent watching the Inbetweeners movie!!

Lucas joined us for dinner this evening and once again the forfeits continued! I think the boys were actually more nervous tonight than they are when they play matches and I was shocked to see Alex end up losing two games in a row! Last night I had the balsamic vinegar challenge but tonight it was chilli oil and star jumps in front of the chefs for Alex!!

Boy’s Doubles Draw

Schedule for tomorrow:

Troy Dixon (GBR) & Peter O’Donovan (GBR) vs (2) Alex Hagon (GBR) & Antonio Sabugueiro (POR) – 3rd match after 9am

Stabekk U18 ITF Grade 5, Day 3

Sunday 3rd November 2013

It was a tough day for Zeki today as he came up against a good player in his 2nd round match while Alex’s continued his preparations for the main draw which starts tomorrow.

Due to a later start to breakfast and the fact that the first bus of the day was at 8.49am the tournament decided to start play at 10.30am today. That gave the boys a bit of a lie in and after we arrived at the tennis centre at around 9.15am they warmed up and then hit from 10-10.30am. Zeki was hitting well throughout the session and he continued to focus on some of the things we had talked about yesterday following his first round win.

After the practice session we went upstairs onto the balcony to recap on yesterday’s match before talking in detail about goals and tactics that we wanted to use in the match today. Then, at 12.30pm, Zeki went on to face Jacob Eskeland from Norway.

We had watched Jacob play almost all of his first round match yesterday so we knew quite a bit about how he plays – he had a big serve and hit well from the back of the court when the ball was within his comfort zone. Zeki’s game plan was therefore to use his ‘leftiness’ to move Jacob wide on his weaker backhand side before looking to ghost in to finish the point.

The match started with Jacob holding serve comfortably but Zeki responded well with a very good service game of his own. After another hold from Jacob, Zeki played a poor game where he double faulted and gave away another 2 unforced errors to hand Jacob the break. That game was to have a big impact on the match as Zeki’s head dropped a little while Jacob’s confidence grew resulting in him taking a 4-1* lead. Zeki managed to hold serve in the next game with 5/5 first serves but that was unfortunately the last game he won in the match.

After winning the first set 6-2, Jacob raised his level and prevented Zeki from really being able to execute his game plan effectively. Zeki did have opportunities in the second set to get games on the board but in the end Jacob played well on the big points and ended up taking the match 6-2, 6-0.

While Zeki was on court Alex spent 30 minutes practicing with Dan Little and then after we all got some lunch we went back on court from 3-4pm to make sure he was well prepared for his main draw match tomorrow. The session started with the two of us training next to a couple of Russian girls but soon they were done so we started a practice set. Alex hit the ball very well throughout our hour on court and despite him taking a 4-1 lead I managed to fight back to level the set before (luckily for me!) our time was up. We then headed into the gym so that Alex could do his injury prevention work and stretch out while I did little workout of my own. After a while Peter O’Donovan and Rob Morgan from the Bolton high performance centre in England joined us in the gym and I think, thanks to Rob’s ‘help’ on the bench press, I’m going to be feeling it in the morning!!

Alex working out in the gym while the Italian slept on the floor!

We left the tennis centre at 5.45pm and after a quick change at the hotel we headed down to Vapiano again for dinner. To try and get a bit of variety in the player’s diet I decided at the start of the week that no-one could have the same meal for more than two days in a row. Zeki decided to go out on a limb and order the beef ravioli tonight but in the end it was definitely the best selection of the night.

After last night’s forfeits Zeki was determined to get his own back on Alex and me! In the end we both lost which saw me have to drink a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar while Alex had to pay for dinner and walk out of the restaurant wearing all of our jackets!

 

Boy’s Singles Main Draw

Schedule for tomorrow:

(1) Antonio Sabugueiro (POR) (603) vs Alex Hagon (GBR) (1090) – 3rd match after 9am

Stabekk U18 ITF Grade 5, Day 2

Saturday 2nd November 2013

We had a good start to the tournament today as Zeki produced a good performance to advance through his first round qualifying match.

Officially breakfast didn’t start until this morning at 7.30am but luckily we managed to get in there early so that we could get to the bus stop for the first bus of the day at 7.49am. Unfortunately there is no tournament transport from the hotel to the club this week which means that we’ll need to get the bus each day. That won’t be a problem on weekdays as busses start at 6.30am but on Saturdays and Sundays the first busses aren’t until much later.

We arrived at the club just before 8.15am and the boys immediately went into their physical warm ups before we got on court at 8.30am for our practice session. Zeki was hitting well throughout the session and following the time we spent on court yesterday he looked much more comfortable on the fast surface. The boys ended the session with some point play and then at 9am the matches went on.

As Zeki was scheduled for 3rd match on it gave us a chance to watch his possible next round opponent who played first on today. We watched almost the whole match and then afterwards our attention turned to Zeki’s preparation for his own match which included filling out his pre-match sheet and making sure he had eaten enough before he went on.

At around 11.45am Zeki went on to play Anders Mannerak from Norway. Both plays started a little nervously but it was Zeki that settled down first and took a 3-0* lead after dominating from the back of the court. At this stage Zeki relaxed a little too much which resulted in a few too many unforced errors and suddenly the match was back on serve at 3-2*. Zeki responded well though and fought hard to win the next two tight games before going on to take the set 6-2.

Zeki serving on the far court during the first set

Once the first set was under Zeki’s belt he became much more confident and dominated his opponent in every game of the second set resulting in him taking the set 6-0. Overall Zeki played a good match and even though the start was a little tentative he soon found the level he needed to get the win.

After the match Alex and I went outside to work on his serve on the clay courts while Zeki cooled down and stretched out. We finished the serving session around 2.30pm and then we all got some lunch at the club.

The plan for the rest of the day was to train from 5-6pm after the last matches had finished but at around 3.45pm some of the courts became available so we went straight on. The first half of the session was spent preparing Zeki for his 2nd round match based on what we had learnt about his opponent from earlier in the day and then in the second half of the session I worked with Alex individually on his game. We then went into the gym at around 5pm to cool down and stretch out to end a good day at the tennis centre.

Dinner tonight was once again at Vapiano and it was even more enjoyable than last night. The highlight wasn’t the food tonight though as Zeki lost at Cheat and had to endure the forfeit of acting like a waiter – he had to go up to a table of four, ask them if they enjoyed their meals before clearing their plates from their table and taking them to the kitchen!!

Queuing up to order at Vapiano

Schedule for tomorrow:

Jacob Eskeland (NOR) (UNR) vs (8) Zeki Horoz (GBR) (2286) – 2nd match after 10.30am

The winner to play either Peter Anker (NOR) or Peter Kampen (DEN) – 4th match (after rest)

Stabekk U18 ITF Grade 5, Day 1

Friday 1st November 2013

The first day of a trip is always an exciting one, whether it’s with players I’ve travelled with before or new players that I’ve never met, but one of the most exciting parts of my job is going to a tournament for the first time. The last time I was in Norway was in 2005 and despite a fantastic tournament the week will unfortunately be remembered for the London bombings. This week our hotel is in Oslo but the event is in the small town of Stabekk just on the outskirts of the capital city.

I met Alex Hagon early this morning on the 6.42am train from London Bridge to Gatwick airport and then when we arrived at Gatwick we met Zeki Horoz at the Norwegian airlines check-in desk. Zeki does some training at the same venue as Alex and I so even though we had already met, I’d never been on court with him.

I think Alex had already warned Zeki about the rules of no junk food on the trip, but over breakfast at the airport Zeki came out with a classic – “Rob, can I get a pain au chocolate?” After a moment of shock where I wasn’t sure if he was winding me up, I responded with a “No . . . you’ve got a match tomorrow!” to which he replied “Oh yeah!!”

The 2 hour 10 minute flight went quite quickly and then, after we collected our bags at Oslo airport, we were straight on the express train through to the city centre which the boys were very impressed with – “Rob, why don’t we have trains like this in England?” – with questions like this it could be a long week!! It was then a short walk (once we worked out which way to go!) to our hotel for the week.

At 2.30pm we headed over to the tennis centre which involved a 20 minute bus ride and then a 5 minute walk at the other end. Even though the centre was very busy with its own coaching programme we managed to get on court for 30 minutes indoors, then we hit some volleys and serves outside on the clay before returning indoors for another 10-15 minutes so that Zeki could hit some returns and play some points.

Zeki and Alex training on the indoor courts this afternoon

Both boys adjusted well to the fast and dusty indoor courts and were very professional when I said we would continue the session outdoors so that Zeki could hit volleys and serves.

At 5pm the boys cooled down and stretched out before Zeki singed in for the tournament. He then booked a practice court for tomorrow and, after making sure we had done everything we needed to, we left for the bus ride back.

As I hadn’t been to Oslo for quite some time I asked the receptionist at the hotel to recommend a good place for dinner and they came up with a great choice! The boys weren’t a fan of the 10 minute walk (or maybe it was the pace I was walking at!) but as soon as we walked into ‘Vapiano’ we knew it was going to be good! It’s basically an Italian restaurant where you go up to one of the three chef sections (Pizza, Pasta or Antipasti & Insalate), order your food, charge it to a plastic card and then when it’s ready you go and collect it. Then you pay for everything you’ve had on your card on the way out of the restaurant. Well, the food was amazing, the only mistake we made was that we ordered everything at the same time and then, because it was so nice, we ate it all too quickly!!

Having already purchased a bus / train / tram ticket for the week we decided to make the most of it and get the tram back to the hotel – nothing to do with the fact we were all too full to walk up the hill!!

After a long day of travelling, training and eating we all had an early night to get ready for Zeki’s opening qualifying match tomorrow.

Boy’s Qualifying Draw

Schedule for tomorrow:

Anders Mannerak (NOR) (UNR) vs (8) Zeki Horoz (GBR) (2286) – 3rd match after 9am (not before 11am)

 

ABOUT I.t.c.

Since 2010 my aim has been to make it more affordable to travel to international tournaments with a coach. Over the past 20 years I have coached players at over 250 international tournaments ranging from U12 Tennis Europe events to a semi-finalist at a Grand Slam.

 

For more information please click here.

contact

Rob Smith

Tel: +44 (0) 7866 362251

Email: rob@itc-tennis.com

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