Sunday 17^th July 2022

It’s Final’s Day!

After a long week of training, competing, learning, fun, a few tears but lots of improvement from the whole team it’s always nice to be involved in the event on Final’s Day (even if it is to play a semi-final first!).

We had a bit more of a lie-in this morning as the finals didn’t start until 9:30am which meant that we could practise for an hour beforehand. With that in mind we left our bags all packed up in the apartment and got down to the courts for just after 8am to make sure we secured a practice court.

Isla had a really good session this morning; she was looking extremely sharp at the net and was serving very well so we finished around 9:15am so we could sweep the courts ready for the finals. We knew there would be a little bit of waiting around today so I left Isla at the club to watch the singles final while I walked back up to the apartment to get the bags and meet the owner to check out.

Isla and Amina went on court at 10:30am to face Mariia Shybanova from Ukraine and Antonia Zielinska from Poland. Isla and Amina broke serve in the first game and were 1-0, 30-0 up serving when their opponent’s levels suddenly went up a few gears and soon they found themselves 1-3 down. A little like in yesterday’s 1/4 final, Isla and Amina then started to play much more aggressive tennis to win the next 2 games and lead 4-1 in the tie-break but Mariia and Antonia were not about to roll over. They won the next 5 points in a row to take a 6-4 lead and have 2 set points but once again Isla and Amina showed great character to fight back at take the breaker 9-7.

It was a big turnaround both at 1-3 down in the set and at 4-6 down in the tie-break and Isla and Amina continued the momentum they had built up to take the second set 4-1. It was their best doubles win of the week so far against a very good pair but we knew that the opponents in the final were going to be even tougher as they would include one of the girls that made the singles final.

After the match we had quite a bit of waiting around to do as the tournament decided to do the singles presentation before the other girl’s doubles semi-final. That meant that the other semi didn’t go on until around 2pm and then the final didn’t start until almost 4pm.

In the final Isla and Amina were set to face Raya Markova from Bulgaria (who Isla beat in the group stages of the singles) and Sakino Miyazawa from Japan (who Amina had lost to yesterday in the semi-final).

Isla and Amina warming up for the final

Isla and Amina started very well, breaking Raya in the opening game but then a sudden death deuce point went against them on Isla’s serve and soon they found themselves 1-3 down. They then broke Raya again to stay in the set but Sakino was becoming more and more dominant both at the baseline and at the net. Isla served at *2-3 but another sudden death deuce game went against them and that led to them losing the first set 4-2.

In the second set Sakino was unbelievable; she not only controlled her territory at the net extremely well but she also covered the majority of Raya’s side of the court too! It was quite something to watch, especially from a 10/11 year old and that really made the difference in the final.

Raya and Sakino went on to win 4-2, 4-1 and, even though I didn’t think Isla and Amina played their best match, it was very difficult to play well against such a good doubles player like Sakino.

All four girls after the final!

So that brings another international tournament trip to an end. Isla and Taylor have had a great week where they’ve played a combined total of 14 matches in 7 days and I know they’ve learnt a huge amount about playing on clay. They’ve also seen some of the best 10/11 year olds in the world compete and so hopefully they can use that knowledge to develop their games when they return home.

The next international tournament trip will be after September as we have lots of domestic events over the summer in the UK. As always a huge thank you to everyone that has and continues to support the travelling squad, especially Adidas, Babolat, Soto Tennis Academy, Bromley Sports Club and Jon W Sports Injury Clinic. A special thanks also to Halo Hydration for supporting the players this week with much needed supplements for their drinks.

Saturday 16^th July 2022

We had another good, although rather long, day at the Dubrovnik Dub Bowl today but, like with most tournament trips, when you get towards semi-final’s and final’s day there’s always a few curve balls that get thrown at you!

Normally when you get towards the end of a tournament week courts open up for practice as there are less players involved in the event. However, today there were 43 matches scheduled with the first ones starting as normal at 8am. That meant that, even though Isla was scheduled in the 9^th round of matches, she still needed to practise at 7am if she wanted to get a hit in before she played.

Despite Taylor being out of both of his events he was still very keen to train early in the morning so we all met as normal at 6:45am and were on-court hitting by 7am. Our focus during the practice was obviously doubles specifics so, once both players had warmed up, I mixed in to set up different doubles situations. By 8am Isla was very happy with her level so we finished and swept the court ready for the first round of matches.

As I said earlier, once we get to the end of the week things logistically get a little tricky. Often I will book both accommodation and flights for the evening of semi-final’s day so that:

1) the players /parents save a little money if they have lost earlier in the tournament

and

2) they are not waiting around without matches to play until a flight on final’s day

The downside to this is an example like today; if Isla was to play and lose we could in theory get our scheduled 9:05pm flight back to London. But we would have to check out of the apartment at 10am and then have nowhere to store our bags etc. or have anywhere to relax away from the tournament site. So I decided we would extend the apartment for 1 night and then wait to see what time the players go on for their doubles before I decide if I’ll change the flights – lots to consider!!

It was therefore a long day of trying to relax at the apartment, watching some of the semi-final singles matches and at the same time trying to judge when they would go on for their doubles. At 5:15pm we said goodbye to Taylor and Lex as they got a taxi to the airport and then at just after 6pm Isla and Amina took to the court for their doubles quarter-final match against Korana Barisic & Ana Marija Rebic from Croatia.

Warming up before the 1/4 Final

As expected, the Croatians had lot of vocal support but it was Isla and Amina who got an early break to lead 2-1 in the first set. They were playing some excellent doubles together and both girls were controlling the net which was one of the main differences between the two pairs. Isla and Amina took the first set 4-1 and played superbly well to take a 3-1 lead in the second set but then things started to change!

At 4-1, 3-1 sudden death deuce Isla missed a volley and suddenly the Croatian crowd erupted! The next game also went to sudden death deuce and once again it went the way of Korana and Marija so within a 2-3 minute period the momentum of the match had completely turned.

The tie-break was always going to be a tough one but Isla raised her level from the beginning and Amina followed suit. They got back to the level they played at in the first set where the baseliner was hitting aggressively and setting up their partner at the net which led to them taking 3 points in a row at 3-3 and then securing the match 4-1, 4-3(4).

Both girls were very happy after the match and all the waiting around and making changes to flights / accommodation was worth it!!

After a week of being part of a team it was a much quieter dinner tonight as it was just Isla and I but we were both very happy with Isla’s performance and now our attention turns to Final’s Day (well … semi-final’s first!) tomorrow.

Schedule for tomorrow:

Mariia Shybanova (UKR) & Antonia Zielinska (POL) vs Amina Nurmakhan (KAZ) & Isla Smith (GBR) – not before 10:30am

Winner to play the Final later in the day.

Friday 15^th July 2022

It was a busy day for the team today as both Isla and Taylor had a singles and a doubles match and we’re now at the stage of the event where if you lose you are eliminated!

For the first time in 5 days of competition we didn’t have to be up at 5:30am … instead we had a lie-in until 6:30am! This was because Taylor was in the first round of matches at Tenis Klub Dubrovnik (which is the second venue they are using for the tournament) and they start at 9am whereas the main site has been starting at 8am each day.

We got all got a taxi over together at 7:30am and then Isla and Taylor were on court warming up by 7:45am.We then hit from 8-8:40am and went through a normal pre-match hit with more of a focus on volume of serves and returns for Taylor as he felt he had been struggling with those areas during the week. After the practice session we went through the player’s pre-match sheets and then at 9am Taylor went on court to face Maksymilian Witek from Poland.

Taylor started extremely well and easily found his best level of the week as he went 3-0 up in the first set but at that stage Maksymilian wasn’t about to roll over and give him the set. The next 3 games all went against Taylor as Maksymilian dominated the rallies from the back of the court, hitting 8 winners to take the set to a tie-break. Taylor dug deep at the start of the breaker and took a 6-2 lead but once again Maksymilian fought back and won the next 6 points in-a-row to take the tie-break 8-6.

Taylor was understandably very disappointed to let a 3-0 lead in the set and a 6-2 lead in the tie-break slip away from him but unfortunately he found it hard to let that go and focus on fighting back in the second set. He went 2-0 down at the start of the second set and despite breaking serve in the next game he went on to lose the set 4-1.

Not long after Taylor had finished, Isla went on court for her Last 16 Consolation Draw match against Melitina Kotlyarova from Latvia. Like Isla, Melitina had a tough qualifying group and, having seen her train a few times next to us, we knew she was a good player. The first two games were very close with some very high level hitting from both girls but it was Melitina who managed to edge both of them on sudden death deuce points. From that stage Melitina’s level increased and Isla got a little frustrated which resulted in the first set going to Melitina 4-0.

The second set was very similar to the first; both girls were trading with each other well from the back of the court but it was Melitina who managed to get a little more weight or a little more width in the rally. Despite going 3-0 down Isla continued to fight hard and managed to hold serve in the next game but Melitina finished the match off with 3 winners in the last game to win 4-0, 4-1.

Both singles matches were a little disappointing but the players tried their best and unfortunately just came up short against good opponents.

After Isla’s singles match, Taylor and Lex got a taxi to the main site as Taylor’s doubles was scheduled there not before 2pm whilst I stayed with Isla to wait for her 2^nd round doubles match.

Isla and Amina went on at just after 2pm to face the Maltese pair of Pippa Cutugno & Chloe Kuijt and Isla was very up for it after the disappointment of her singles! From the first game Isla and Amina played some very good doubles and they looked strong both at the back of the court and at the net which resulted in them winning the match convincingly 4-0, 4-0.

It’s always fun to get together with the referee and dispute a mark!!

Once they had finished we jumped straight into a taxi to go to the main site hoping that Taylor hadn’t already finished his doubles!

When we arrived Taylor and Lorenz had just started the warm-up against Vlaho Petkovic from Croatia & Sergej Petrovic from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first set went by 4-0 in a flash as Taylor and Lorenz couldn’t cope with their physically stronger opponents. However,  an early hold of serve in the second set, followed by an immediate break saw our boys really settle into the match and go 2-0 up. They then managed to hold on despite some very good tennis from their opponents to take the set 4-2 and so it was a short tie-break to 7 to determine the winner.

Unfortunately Taylor and Lorenz did not start the breaker well and soon found themselves 3-0 down. They kept their heads high though and kept trying to find a way back but in the end their opponents were just a little better and they ended up winning 4-0, 2-4, 7-4.

It was a difficult day for Taylor and the loss in the doubles brings his tournament to an end but I think he’s improved massively from playing on the clay and has loved his first experience of competing internationally.

For dinner tonight we headed back to El Toro which is located half way between our apartments and then we finally gave in to Isla and Taylor’s constant requests all week to go down to the beach!

The little beach close to the tennis club (Isla and Taylor are down there somewhere!)

Schedule for tomorrow:

Korana Barisic (CRO) & Ana Marija Rebic (CRO) vs Amina Nurmakhan (KAZ) & Isla Smith (GBR)  – 9^th match after 8am

Thursday 14^th July 2022

It was another glorious day here in Dubrovnik and after another two matches for Isla today it brings the total for the team to 8 matches in 4 days.

The day started early as per usual with a 6:45am meet at the Dubrovnik Tennis Centre and after a very good 15 minute physical warm-up, Isla and Taylor took to the court at 7am. We spent the first 30 minutes going through a standard match warm-up which roughly includes 10 minutes trading from the back of the court, 5 minutes each of volleys, smashes and drive-volleys and then 10 minutes of serve and return. This can vary depending on if the player is in the first round of matches but it generally follows that structure. Isla then only wanted to do an extra 10 minutes where she worked on coming forwards towards the net and placing her first volley as she wanted to focus on that as a goal for her match. Once she was happy I then spent the remaining 20 minutes working on specifics with Taylor so that he was feeling prepared for his singles and doubles matches tomorrow.

After the session we went back to the apartment to relax for an hour and a half before getting a taxi over to Tenis Klub Dubrovnik where Isla was due to play her first round of the consolation draw.

At around 11:30am she went on court to face Nina Dugandzic from Croatia on one of the more exposed courts at the club which meant it was going to be very hot on court! Having trained at the Soto Tennis Academy in Spain during August where the temperatures can hit 40°C, Isla was ok with the heat but things didn’t quite go to plan at the start of the match!

Nina was quite a tricky opponent and her consistency, combined with her good ability to defend well when put under pressure, made life very difficult for Isla at the start of the match. Isla went 0-2 down after losing two very close sudden death deuce games but then found her consistency and range of shot to win the next 3 games in a row. She then had a set point at 3-2 but was unable to convert it so it went to a tie-break. Isla played the breaker very well and after taking a comfortable 5-2 lead, she eventually won it 7-3.

Isla then continued that level through the second set and, despite having a match point at 3-0 sudden death deuce, she eventually took it 4-1.

After the match we had a quick debrief but then it was straight into a taxi to take us back to the main site where Isla and Amina Nurmakhan from Kazakhstan were due to play their 1st round doubles match.

Even though Anima doesn’t speak a lot of English, the girls managed to communicate well together and they even had a few smiles on the court which was great to see. They were up against Lara Borisova from Bulgaria and Riko Nakanishi from Japan but Isla and Amina played a great match as a team and ended up with a 4-0, 4-1 victory.

Isla and Amina on the doubles court this afternoon

Poor Taylor had been Isla’s cheerleader for the day as he didn’t have any matches scheduled so as soon as the doubles was finished he was straight on court for some extra training. Isla joined us too and all three of us had a great hour on court which included work on their singles and doubles in preparation for their matches tomorrow.

For dinner tonight we walked into the Old Town and had a very nice (but a little pricey!) Italian meal. We then all treated ourselves to an ice cream and a walk around the historic city walls before heading home.

The Old Town of Dubrovnik with it’s amazing narrow streets

Schedule for tomorrow:

Taylor Daniel (GBR) vs Maksymilian Witek (POL) – 1st match at 9am (2^nd site)

Isla Smith (GBR) vs Melitina Kotlyarova (LAT) – 3^rd match on after 9am (2^nd site)

Amina Nurmakhan (KAZ) & Isla Smith (GBR) vs Pippa Cutugno (MLT) & Chloe Kuijt (MLT) – 6^th match after 9am (2^nd site)

Taylor Daniel (GBR) & Lorenz Dietl (AUT) vs Vlaho Petkovic (CRO) & Sergej Petrovic (BIH) – 6^th match after 8am (main site)

Wednesday 13^th July 2022

It was another great day here in Dubrovnik which saw Isla and Taylor play their last group matches, an excellent post-match training session and a brilliant evening in the Old Town which marks the start of the main draw tomorrow.

It never gets easier when the alarm goes off at 5:30am and, as the week goes on at any international event, the fatigue starts to show for both the players and me! However, the effort and commitment levels remain high each day and we push each other to continue to improve and develop.

We were down at the main tournament site at 6:45am this morning to start our physical warm-up and then we were on court hitting by 7am. Taylor went through his standard 30 minute pre-match hit as he was first on at 8am but Isla continued with me for another 15 minutes afterwards to work on a few specifics. I then confirmed a few match goals with Taylor before he took to the court to face Gustavs Gutans from Latvia.

We had seen Gustavs play earlier in the week and knew that it was going to be a very tough match but we also knew that when Taylor brings his intensity and quality of shot he can compete with any of the players here. Unfortunately for Taylor, Gustavs was very much on his game today and raced through the first 3 games hitting 5 winners and only 2 unforced errors. At 0-3 Taylor dug deep and played some excellent points to take the game to sudden death deuce but he couldn’t quite convert it and lost the set 4-0.

The second set followed almost the same pattern as the first; Taylor was trying to stay in the point and put his opponent under pressure but Gustavs was physically stronger and countered everything Taylor threw at him. There were a few close games and another sudden death deuce point at 0-3 but ultimately Gustavs was too good on the day and ended up winning 4-0, 4-0.

Taylor was obviously disappointed with the outcome and by losing that match it means he will finish 3^rd in the group and now move into the Consolation Draw.

We returned to the apartment for a few hours after the match so Isla could get away from the tournament site, have some food and relax before we returned at 11:30am to prepare for her match.

Raya Markova from Bulgaria had won her first two matches in the group including a very convincing 4-1, 4-1 win over Noemi Nogradi (who Isla lost to on the first day) so we knew that we’d have to be on it from the very first point. Isla was up for the challenge though and she also knew that it was a ‘must win’ match if she wanted to qualify for the Main Draw.

The girls went on at 1:30pm and even from the warm-up it was obvious that both girls were up for a good battle! When they started it was Isla that took an early lead following a sudden death deuce game and then a superb hold of serve which included 3 clean winners from the back of the court. Raya raised her level at 2-0 down and held serve but Isla responded brilliantly with some very aggressive tennis to take the next 2 games in a row to win the set 4-1.

The level of tennis in the second set was just as high as the first but this time it was Raya who was controlling things from the back of the court with some huge flat hitting from both corners of the court. Isla was staying with her in the rallies but after winning 3 sudden death deuce points in 5 games it was Raya that took the set 4-1.

The 3^rd set out here is a simple tie-break to seven points so it’s very important that you get a good start and do not give away any cheap points early on. Isla did just that; she hit 4 winners in the first 7 points and at 5-2 was in full control but Raya is a tough competitor and hit back with 3 points in a row to level the tie-break. Not fazed but this resurgence, Isla held her service point at 5-5 and then played an excellent last point of the match to take it 4-1, 1-4, 7-5.

It was definitely Isla’s best performance of the week but, like Taylor, she unfortunately also finished 3^rd as Noemi won her match without dropping a game. That meant that both Noemi and Isla finish on 2 wins each but Noemi had a better set ratio so she progresses to the Main Draw. Isla was disappointed to find this out but I was so pleased with the way that she played today that I wasn’t really fussed if she qualified or not!

Straight after Isla’s match all three of us headed straight on court for a really good 45 minute training session. Some players do not want to train after matches as they are tired and just want to go back and relax but Isla and Taylor have been up for training as much as possible out here. I love to see this and it motivates me massively to help them develop their games and get as much as they can out of the trip.

After an early dinner we walked to the main square in the Old Town for the Main Draw Opening Ceremony which included some mini tennis in front of the spectacular St. Blaise’s church followed by the draw ceremony in the 15^th Century Sponza Palace.

All the players in front of St. Blaise’s church in the Old Town

A bit of mixed doubles and a great volley from Taylor!

We then walked back to the apartments to get a good night’s sleep ready for more singles and doubles tomorrow!

Schedule for tomorrow:

Isla Smith (GBR) vs Nina Dugandzic (CRO) – 4^th match on after 9am (2nd site)

Amina Nurmakhan (KAZ) & Isla Smith (GBR) vs Lara Borisova (BUL) & Riko Nakanishi (JPN) – 7th match after 8am (main site)

Tuesday 12^th July 2022

It was another good day of training and competition in Dubrovnik today and despite it being quite a long one, we did still manage to celebrate my birthday a little bit!

It was another bright and early start for the team as we were at the main tournament site by 6:45am but everything seems to be a little easier at that time in the morning when the sun is shining and it’s already 22°C!

Isla and Taylor went through their individual physical warm-ups and then we did some movement drills in the speed ladder before they got on court at 7am to start hitting. Both of their levels of play have improved hugely in just two days and that is because the clay court teaches them so much. I’ve said in the past that the clay court is like an assistant coach because if the players do not adapt quickly to it then they can really get stuck in the wrong positions playing the wrong types of shots!

Isla and Taylor working through some ladder exercises this morning

As the players were not on until much later in the day we decided to train for a full hour and not only go through a standard warm-up but also work on a few specifics that came from their matches yesterday.

We finished training when the matches started at 8am and then, after a brief trip back to the apartments to get some more breakfast, we headed over to the tournament’s second site (Tenis Klub Dubrovnik) to get ready for their matches.

The view over the 5 courts of the Tenis Klub Dubrovnik

Taylor went on court at just after 11:30am to face Samuil Pironkov from Bulgaria. Taylor had been hitting well over the past couple of days but today he found it quite difficult to maintain a high level of consistency against a good aggressive baseliner. Taylor was broken in the first game and then had a very close second game which he lost on a sudden death deuce point. I was thinking at this stage that the set could be over very quickly but, to his credit, Taylor fought hard in the next game to hold serve (after another sudden death deuce point). Unfortunately Samuil stepped up his level and fired off 4 winners in the next two games to take the set 4-1.

The second set was much more one-sided and even though Taylor was trying to play the right way, he just wasn’t able to execute like he did yesterday and he ended up losing 4-1, 4-0.

It was a tough loss but, in the same way as Isla’s match yesterday, he will definitely learn a huge amount about how to play and more importantly how to respond in certain situations from this match.

We then had a long wait at the club with very little to do until Isla went on court at just before 4pm to face Ageha Ogana from Japan. We had seen Ageha play yesterday and so we had a good gameplan and Isla had specific goals that she wanted to achieve during the match. Isla started off very strong and despite losing the first game on a sudden death deuce point, she responded perfectly to win the next 4 games in a row to win the set 4-1.

Isla warming up with Ageha this afternoon

After the first set Isla was in full control of the match and by being so, I wanted to see her level push on a little more but that was difficult for her to do today. She was a little wary that her Japanese opponent could raise her level and so she played it a little too safe in the second set despite dominating it 4-1.

When Isla was 2-1 up I sent Taylor off to warm up and then as soon as Isla finished we went straight on court to do some training. The three of us had a really good 45 minutes where both Taylor and Isla found much higher levels of hitting than during their matches. By the time we were kicked off the court by the local club programme, they were both much happier and were feeling much more prepared for their final group matches tomorrow.

We celebrated my birthday with a team dinner next door to the club and then we got a taxi back to the apartments at 6:30pm. It was then time for a phone call home to talk to my wife and son before preparations started for tomorrow’s matches!

Schedule for tomorrow:

Taylor Daniel (GBR) vs Gustavs Gutans (LAT) – 1^st match on after 8am

Raya Markova (BUL) vs Isla Smith (GBR) – 7^th match on after 8am

Monday 11^th July 2022

We had a really good first day at the Dubrovnik Dub Bowl today which started with an early morning practice, ended with the Opening Ceremony and had a couple of matches in-between!

We woke up this morning at 5:45am to the sound of very strong winds but once we walked down to the courts at 6:30am the wind had died down and was replaced by a beautifully clear and calm morning. Isla and Taylor went through their own physical warm up together and then just before 7am we started our practice.

At most international tournaments there is a booking system for practice but here it is just ‘first come, first served’ so it was important that we arrived early to secure a good pre-match warm up before the matches started at 8am.

Isla and Taylor hit for around 45 minutes and it was clear that the hour and a half session yesterday had really helped them to get used to the courts as well as their movement on the surface. Both of them hit well and by the time we came off court they were ready for their first group matches.

Isla serving during the warm-up this morning

Between 8am and when Taylor went on at around 10:30am we went back to the apartments to get some food and then met back up at the club to go through the preparation for their matches. Isla and Taylor have a ‘player pack’ that they need to complete throughout the week which includes pre and post-match analysis sheets, trip goals, morning and evening check lists and also warm-up and cool down routines. This is not just to give them extra work to do but to help them take ownership of their training and assist them when they reflect on their matches.

Taylor’s first match was against Luka Juric from Croatia and, having not seen him play before, we had no idea what to expect! Despite this being Taylor’s very first international match, he looked very confident walking on the court and as soon as the match started he broke Luka’s served comfortably. Taylor then had a bit of a shaky service game of his own but after being broken he responded by winning the next 3 games in a row to take the first set 4-1.

Taylor continued to be aggressive from the back of the court in the second set and kept the momentum going to win the first two games of the second set. At 2-0 with Taylor serving, Luka raised his level and played his best game of the match to break serve. Taylor wasn’t fazed though; he broke straight back and then held serve on a sudden death deuce point to take the match 4-1, 4-1.

Once Taylor had cooled down, stretched out and got some food to eat, he completed his post-match sheet and then we debriefed together.

It wasn’t too long after Taylor had finished that Isla was on for her first match against Noemi Nogradi from Hungary. From the warm-up it was very obviously that Noemi was a good player but it was Isla that started the stronger out of the two players as she broke Noemi in the first game. She then played an excellent service game of her own to hold and take a 2-0 lead. At this stage Noemi changed her gamestyle a little and started to give Isla a little less pace while also moving her a lot more around the court. Because of this the rallies became much longer and, with temperatures reaching almost 30 degrees, it was starting to get very tricky on court for Isla!

The level for the rest of the first set remained high from both players; Isla was dictating play with some heavy hitting from the back of the court but Noemi was very effective in neutralising Isla’s shots and then adding pace when needed. This resulted in Noemi winning 4 games in a row to take the set 4-2.

The pattern continued in the second set and, even though Isla was playing some excellent tennis, she just couldn’t find a way to finish the points off. Noemi took a 2-0 lead in the second set and then really raised her level to fire off 6 winners in the next 2 games to take the match 4-2, 4-0.

Despite the result, it was a very positive performance from Isla and one that she will definitely learn a lot from in terms of playing on clay and also playing a girl who is very solid on the surface.

After the match Isla cooled down and stretched out and then we went back to the apartment to get ready for dinner and then the Opening Ceremony.

All of the players met at the tennis centre at 6:45pm and were introduced to the main court country by country. Sometimes the opening ceremony at these events can be rather long-winded and boring for the players but they did it well here and by 7:15pm we were leaving for an early night.

Isla and Taylor at the opening ceremony

Schedule for tomorrow:

Taylor Daniel (GBR) vs Samuil Pironkov (BUL) – 4th match on after 9am

Ageha Ogawa (JPN) vs Isla Smith (GBR) – 7th match on after 9am

Sunday 10^th July 2022

I quite like to be up early as it gives you a chance to maximise the time in your day but I must admit when the alarm went off this morning at 2am I did wonder what was going on!

Isla and I left home just before 3am to meet Taylor Daniel and his dad, Lex, at Gatwick airport ready for our 5:55am flight to Dubrovnik for the U11 Dubrovnik Dub Bowl. The event has been running for many years and we were recommended it by one of the players who played in it last year so both Isla and Taylor have been looking forward to it for some time.

After arriving at Dubrovnik airport at 10am we got through customs and collected our bags fairly swiftly and then met our driver who took us to our apartments for the week which are just around the corner from the main tournament site. Everyone was feeling a little tired by this stage so we decided to get some sleep and then meet back up at the site for registration at 3:30pm.

Isla and Taylor flying the GB flag this week

Due to another tournament going on we were only able to get a practice court at 6pm today so we decided to have a very early dinner at 4pm. By the time we ate everyone was pretty hungry and, as we’d been up since 2am, it actually didn’t feel that early to have dinner!

We practiced from 6-7:30pm and, despite both of the players being quite tired from a long day of travel, they both worked very hard and settled in really well to playing on the clay.

Isla and Taylor practicing at the main site

Once we had finished training both Isla and Taylor cooled down and stretched out and then we all headed back to our apartments for a well-deserved early night.

Around 9:30pm the draw and order of play came out:

Isla’s Qualifying group

Taylor’s Qualifying group

Schedule for tomorrow:

Taylor Daniel (GBR) vs Luka Juric (CRO) – 4th match on after 8am

Noemi Nogradi (HUN) vs Isla Smith (GBR) – 7th match on after 8am