Monday 24th June 2013
It was a disappointing day today as Alex lost his first round singles match despite starting both sets very well.
As Alex was scheduled for second match after 1pm we decided to have a more relaxed start to the day so that he wasn’t on site for too long before his match. After breakfast at 8.30am we headed over to the club at 10.30am and watched some of the main draw matches until it was time to warm up at 11.30am. Alex then hit with Jody Maginley from Antigua for 30 minutes to prepare for his match and during the session Alex once again found an excellent level. By 12.30pm we were both very pleased with how he was hitting so we finished the session and got some lunch.
Over the next hour and a half we discussed Alex’s tactics and goals for the match and then chilled out in the player’s lounge while watching the first round matches from Wimbledon. As the match before Alex’s got to a set and 3-0 we went out and warmed up. Then at 2.15pm Alex went on to face Ernesto Telles Schmidt from El Salvador.
For the first game and a half Alex played at a very high level and didn’t allow his opponent to get into the match but then a few cheap points gave Ernesto a bit of belief. Alex was then broken at *1-1 and ended up trailing 1-4* before he managed to get a break back but Ernesto broke straight back and held to take the opening set 6-2. Despite losing the set Alex was playing well in parts but was finding it very difficult to break down his very consistent opponent.
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Alex taking on a backhand during the first set
After a toilet break at the end of the set Alex started the second set in the same way as he started the first; hitting extremely well from the back of the court and controlling every rally. Unfortunately Alex was broken again at *1-1 but fought hard to break back and level the set at 2-2. The next two games went against serve but when Alex held to take a 4-3 lead I really thought he had the set in the bag as he had come through a very tough 14 point game to hold serve at 3-3. Alex was still struggling with his consistency but was fighting hard during each point to try and stay on top in the set. Unfortunately 9 unforced errors from *5-5 cost him the next two games and after 2 hours 15 minutes he went down 6-2, 7-5.
It was a disappointing match overall as it was an good opportunity to get through the first round but the stats don’t lie and 69 unforced errors at this level is just too many, especially when his opponent only hit 28 in total.
After the match Alex cooled down and showered before we got the shuttle bus back to the barracks. The journey normally takes 10-15 minutes but due to an accident on the single lane road that runs through the middle of the island it ended up taking an hour! When we eventually got back to the barracks we changed and then spent some time going through the match. Alex’s observations from the match were very accurate and he responded well to the notes and feedback that I made – he knew that he had a good opportunity today but just couldn’t quite execute his shots the way he wanted to. However, I know he’s going to work hard now to make the necessary changes to his game and get prepared for the doubles tomorrow.
Once we were finished we met up with the other players and coaches in the ‘Mess Hall’ for dinner and then relaxed before it was time for bed!
Boy’s Doubles Draw
Schedule for tomorrow:
Harry Copley (GBR) & Alex Hagon (GBR) vs Courtney Murphy (USA) & Myles Schalet (USA) – 5th match after 10am
