Tracy: USA takes home the Gold !!!
Dream Team !!!
Once again, it took a decisive doubles match to break the tie at 1-1 in singles, for us to beat France 2-1. I lost a tough battle 6-3,6-4 to Veteran Tour player Catherine Suire. The weather conditions were rough , with winds keeping my shots short for the French star to attack, and be aggressive at the net. Ros played the # 1 singles, and won 6-3,6-2. The doubles team of Vicki Buholz and Ros Niedeffer clinched the win, with a 6-2, 6-0 win. It was a great day !!!! I am so proud and it is a great honor to be a part of this team. Fran Chandler was so awesome sitting on the bench with everyone and keeping us calm during our play. This was definitely a Dream Team !!! I am not staying for the Individuals. I look forward to getting back home to my husband and kids (2 Labradors and a German Shepherd ) Thanks to you to all the blog fans !! See you back home
Turkish Word for the Day: Su (Water)
Erika’s Blog
Thursday/Friday
Rain delays make for interesting days of tennis. On Friday, we were scheduled to play Austria "not before 11:30". We were assigned a court, but the rain started before a ball was struck. So, we were in a rain delay. Finally at 5:00 pm, they put both singles matches on simultaneously. Anna played the #1 player in the world and fought valiantly. However, the Austrian was too strong. Shelly was struggling as well on the next court. The conditions were tough. The courts were wet and the balls were wet and heavy. It was cold and damp and just plain miserable. I was cold sitting on the court with Shelly and was once again impressed with her tenacity under the adverse circumstances. She lost the first set and was down 2-1 when both players agreed they could not see the ball. We were told to wait for a court with lights, but after an hour they gave us the choice to wait or play the next morning at 9. Both teams opted for the next morning.
Saturday morning came and it was a beautiful day. Shelly warmed up well and I once again assumed my coaching role. She came roaring back in the second set and won it 6-3. The weather was warm but it was a bit windy. The first few games of the third set were hotly contested, but the Austrian won them and then never looked back. Shelly is an amazing competitor and fought to the bitter end, but she came up a bit short. The doubles did not get played since the outcome was decided.
It was a tough week for us but we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience and being teammates. It was fun to coach and cheer each other on and be part of the US Court Cup team as well as the larger US team. Some players teased Shelly and me that it was funny that I coached Shelly all week because our games are so dissimilar. Don’t be surprised when you see us at our next tournament if Shelly is coming into net more (she might even serve and volley a few times) and I’m willing to hit 100 balls to win a point! This week has been a complete immersion in tennis and we have all learned so much. I can’t wait to get back on the court.
Shelly is staying for individuals, but the rest of us are heading home. I had planned on staying for individuals, but my right foot had a different idea.
Speaking of the foot, I am still on crutches and now have a big blister on my left hand from the crutches. But, the swelling in the foot and ankle appears to be going down and I’m told the bottom of my foot is not as black and blue.
Sunday — Despite being on crutches, I was convinced to go sightseeing and I’m glad I did! Anna, Alissa and I joined Carolyn Nichols, Susan Wright and Julie Debendahl (from Australia but moved to Birmingham, Alabama about two months ago). We went to Alanya, about 45 minutes from Ali Bey. There is a castle ruin at the top of the cliff overlooking the Mediterranean and the views were spectacular. The weather was warm and the skies were clear. Without too much walking, we were able to enjoy the views and take lots of pictures. We then went to the center of town to have lunch and do some browsing and shopping. We made some new friends with the restaurant owner and some of the shop owners and got some items to bring home as mementos of the trip.
Update on the foot – When we got back from sightseeing, I went to watch Mary Dailey’s mixed match. She was finished (she won) and was hitting with some South African players. One of the players is a doctor and immediately came over to meet me and insisted on looking at my foot. She was pleased that it was stable and the swelling was noticeably down. She was hopeful that the MRI and x-rays would show that it is only a bad sprain. Earlier in the day, one of the men’s team from India came up to me to ask about my foot because he was a doctor and had heard about my injury. His advice was to get an MRI and X-rays, but that he too thought it could just be a bad sprain. The support I have received from the US team and from players from other countries has been a bright spot of the week. The camaraderie of the tennis community is wonderful.
I’m trying to finalize my flights home. Monday will be spent watching some friends play matches.