Hello from Opatija, Croatia. I am here for the 45th International Tennis Seniors Championships of Croatia. (Click here for more on this tournament.) Yesterday we drove from Grobming, Austria to Opatija, about 6 hours at a leisurely pace…through Austria, past Salzburg, then through Slovenia for a long time till we crossed over the border to Croatia (2 stamps on the passport). Opatija is near Rijeka, in the northern part of Croatia. It’s a beachside resort and was the "Austrian Riviera" during the rule of the Hapsburgs in the 19th century and many old baroque style buildings remain, most of which are hotels now.

We practiced today…twice..and it was warm after Austria and Germany, nearly 90, there was a passing thunderstorm which didn’t pan out to much rain here, just a few sprinkles. There is lots of walking here, the courts are up a hill from my hotel and the practice courts are a hike as well, but overall the area is pretty contained.

The check in time for the tournament is 9am tomorrow and no draws will be done till after everyone has signed up and paid up…there are supposed to be 9 players in the 50s and 11 in the 55s.

I’ve posted a few photos over at Picassa, click here to see them.