My second day of driving went a little better. It rained yesterday most of the day. I was supposed to hit at 10, but the courts were soggy, so I drove to Ottersweier, about 10 miles south of Baden Baden, to check on the tournament site there where I am playing on Saturday. I I actually didn’t get lost, and found the courts, which are in a field near an industrial park. The tournament headquarters is a small trailer. I met the Tournament Director and saw the draw, which is quite strong for a Grade 2 event I think. The ITF ranking here is really important it seems. It’s common for entry fees to be waived for highly ranked players in Europe I’ve found out. I play the winner of a match at noon on Saturday. The tournament ends on Monday. I also found out I don’t play in Baden-Baden till Thursday.

Coming back to Baden-Baden, I had the good sense to stop and ask for directions at the tourist information office, something I didn’t do on Tuesday. I blame jet lag! I received good directions and found the hotel with minimal difficulty. It’s near the Roman thermal bath as it turns out, so following the signs to the baths put me on the path to the hotel.

I was able to play tennis in the late afternoon, a good tough match against a local guy…we played for almost three hours. The clay was heavy and slow, but he hit pretty hard and with a lot of topspin, so it was a challenge. I have another practice tonight. Everyone at Baden-Baden and Ottersweier has been really nice and helpful.