Today I played my first round match, not before 3pm…(it was actually nearer to 4), and I had an 8am warm up…that’s almost another day. So I stretched and warmed up my body and biked over to the courts (my bike is back again working well, the chain is now fixed).

First I watched Dagmar Sperneder, a very nice woman from Austria, play her match in women’s 60s. She won pretty handily over Edeltraud Remy, 62 62. Our match was supposed to be the next one on her court but there was a 1:30 match still waiting to go on after 3pm, so it was put on court 4 and we continued to wait.

While I was waiting I watched a match between Irene Smutny from Germany…I played doubles with her once, she’s a nice lady, and Helga Cluesserath-Stock, also from Germany. There was a little coaching going on in the Cluesserath-Stock camp I think, though I don’t understand German, so the people on the sidelines could be discussing the weather for all I know; meanwhile Irene was munching on a candy bar and drinking coca cola on changeovers. There was some minor coaching for her but more along the lines of keep fighting. The third set was nip and tuck but Helga finally won 64 in the third and plays Dagmar next. Irene is the player in the white shirt.

That match was so close I didn’t scout the match I play the winner of, Julia Smutny from Austria (no relation to Irene) and Sylvia Singer. Smutny won though and I have played her a  couple of times, though not for a couple of years. She’s a good competitor and consistent. 

After the Smutny/Cluesserath-Stock match I played Ingrid Bruckner from Austria. I’d not seen her play but she won a match yesterday so was well used to the courts and altitude. She’s a lefty…and I warmed up with a lefty this morning and yesterday, so that was no problem. She had a big forehand and hit it well at times, though was vulnerable to the drop shot. I won 62 61 and she was delighted to get three games and says she just loves to play tennis.

I then scouted Shirley Friedl, who easily handled the #2 seed Guste Schneider. She plays Cornelia Keller next and that will be a good match. Friedl is a  thoughtful player who mixes up pace well and placement and uses a lot of angles. Schneider had a lot kinesio tape on her shoulder and back, and ran down a lot of balls but not enough. 

Cornelia and i practiced for a while after I watched Friedl play, so hopefully I will be more used to the play here, the ball was flying on me today, tomorrow will be a heavier spin day.

Good night from Austria.