Friday 14th November 2014
As International Travelling Coach approaches its 4th Birthday at the end of next week it is once again time for the last trip of the year and I couldn’t think of a better place to have it than in Liverpool! This tournament will be the 69th international tournament that I have been to since starting International Travelling Coach at the end of 2010 and it will be the 180th international event that I have coached players at – hopefully next year will see my 200th international tournament!
Following a very good two days at the Loughborough British Tour event with Toby Huffer and Alex Hagon, we left Loughborough early this afternoon for the two hour journey to Liverpool. Alex joined Toby and I in training on Wednesday before we left for the British Tour event and it was great to have him back on a trip after spending the last couple of months training in Spain.
Despite the relatively short journey to Liverpool it didn’t stop Alex dozing off shortly after we left:
Doesn’t he look so peaceful?!!
… Or Toby taking selfies!
It’s much better when they’re sleeping!!
At least Toby did manage to take a good one of the Silver Jubilee Bridge over the River Mersey:
At 3.30pm we arrived at the tennis centre in Wavertree and the boys went straight into their physical warm-ups before having a very good training session for an hour. The boys spent the first 30-40 minutes getting used to the courts, drilling and warming up each part of their games and then finished the session with some point play.
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Alex and Toby playing some points at the end of the session this afternoon
After cooling down and stretching out we left the centre at just after 5.30pm and went back to the hotel to shower and change before meeting up with the My Tennis team for dinner.
Coming to the event was a little bit of a gamble for Toby as he was 11th Alternate this morning but when the sign-in closed at 6pm he was easily inside the cut-off and there were in fact 5 byes in Qualifying!
I always say it but it does surprise me when the British ITF events do not have full draws, in this case however, it actually helped us out!
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Boy’s Qualifying Draw
Schedule for tomorrow:
Aidan McHugh (GBR) (UNR) vs Toby Huffer (GBR) (UNR) – 3rd match after 9am
