Saturday 28th March:
This is where the tournament week in Miyazaki started in my mind. I lost in the quarter finals of Yokkaichi to Rio Noguchi 6-1 6-3 and despite getting trounced I actually weirdly felt like my game was in a good place. My brother, Jubby (Paul Jubb) and I travelled from Nagoya catching a 7:30am train to the airport before a propellor plane to the island Miyazaki is on. This is a day off/ travel day.
Sunday 29th March:
The hotel is beautiful, possibly one of the best I’ve stayed in for a challenger. I couldn’t sleep last night as I’m a chicken when it comes to heights and we’re staying on the 34th floor. I told my brother Calum we may have to move rooms but he told me to stop being ridiculous! A resort hotel built on a thermal spa and most importantly: a cafe with an espresso machine! We practised once today with Jubby, felt really comfortable in the conditions and hitting the ball well after the travel day. Conditions a little quicker to last week but still very slow. Wendy (Harry Wendelken) arrived today after a tough semi finals loss yesterday.
Monday 30th March:
Rain. Torrential rain due for 3 days. One thing we brits do know is how to deal with adverse weather though. We went to the club and the supervisor made the decision to put us indoors right away. No nonsense. I went down an early break against Uchida, on very slow indoor courts, I found it very difficult to hit through him and my game felt off kilter, just about managed to keep my frustrations in check and fashioned a break back, it felt like if I could grab the match by the scruff of the neck it could be in my hands. Managed to dodge a bullet and save set point 5-6 down. Fantastic tiebreak (new territory for me) with 4/5 first serves made and that seemed to be just what I needed as I played some of my best tennis of the whole week in the second set.
Tuesday 31st March:
The forecast has miraculously cleared up! But it’s a day off the match court. Had a light 30min hit with Takahashi and then hit serves for ten minutes Horrendous winds and some very ugly tennis being played, grateful I managed to get the job done yesterday.
Wednesday 1st April:
Rain all day. We were on the bus to the courts when the email came through that all singles was cancelled for the day but all doubles matches would be completed indoors. Wendy and I signed as 3rd alternates, didn’t expect to get in so I had a good 45mins session with Jubby. Fortunately I decided to have lunch at the courts before going back to the hotel. Just as I was finishing my last bite the supervisor came and told me we had got in and we were on in an hour. Played a great match to beat Added and Tajima. The perfect way to keep our eye in for the singles.
Thursday 2nd April:
Promises to be a long day and so it is. Once again furious winds but managed to battle the conditions and beat Matsuoka in 3 sets after having had 2 set points in the first set and being up a break. Second two sets really managed to answer the tactical questions well he had asked me in the first. Wendy and I went on for doubles after 5pm and both put in a good performance once again to beat Kumasaka and Matsuda in straight sets.
Friday 3rd April:
Body feels a little fatigued today before a match up against Ilagan which promises to be physical. Generated a lot of BP chances in the first set and felt like if I could stay solid my game on the day might be slightly too much for him. Really pleased with how I responded to the aches and pains after a long and physical match yesterday. Once again went on for doubles after 5pm and just lost out to Trotter and Shimizu 10-7 in the third set tiebreak with Wendy. Still, pleased with my level and feels like a productive day.
Saturday 4th April:
On today against Blake Ellis, who has been playing some good tennis this week. Once again the weather has moved us indoors before it gets too late, weather warning for high winds and lots of rain. Safe to say I am thankful for the indoor back up. I felt really nervous before this match, I knew that if I could win it would be my first challenger final since November and if I want to get back to where I believe I can then I have to work start making things happen.
Went up an early break but Blake was very aggressive, and using his backhand slice well whilst coming forward behind a massive serve. He has improved a lot since we last played and I was finding it difficult to impose my baseline game on him. Just about managed to turn the tiebreak in my favour once again and served really well 5/5 first serves, very tough from the back and the set was done. Went up an early break in the second and kept knocking on the door to the end. I felt a sense of relief after this match that I had managed to get through and also quietly relieved I didn’t have to stick around for doubles!
Sunday 5th April:
I woke up this morning to terrible news from home. My grandma passed away yesterday evening in the UK. She has been poorly for a while but we were holding out hope we would get to see her again when we got back from this Asia trip. Difficult to put the emotions into words, my biggest supporter. I wasn’t sure my brother knew and I didn’t want to talk about it and even if I did I didn’t know what to say. Her and Calum are the only reasons I felt motivated to keep going and fighting to climb back up the rankings after my injury troubles, she watched every match she could over the years whether on ITF Livestream, ChallengerTV or the actual TV at home. It gave a meaning to my tennis that she took such enjoyment out of following my career that the last few years I felt I couldn’t stop as I was playing for more than just myself.
In one of the weird quirks of tennis I was playing my doubles partner Wendy in the finals. We had nobody to hit with for the warmup so we practised with each other the hour before the match.
The first set was a bit of a blur, I was out of sorts at the start and only managed to impose myself after a set. Wendy’s fortunes were going in reverse, he had been sick overnight and was struggling to maintain the fantastic form he’s been in over the last few months. I felt tired emotionally and physically after a long week. I focused on one point at a time, in a finals it’s easy to get carried away looking into the future and picturing what the win (or loss) would look like. Mental clarity and composure is key.
Thankfully as my strength grew in the match I could see Wendy’s start to wane, and with that I started to dominate from the baseline.
Finally I sealed the win, and looked up to the sky and walked to shake Wendy’s hand, I didn’t want to celebrate as it was a difficult result for his chase of Roland Garros qualifying. I sat down and began to cry, of course my first challenger win since my injury had to be the day after Nanny had passed. A cruel twist of fate that she hadn’t been watching at home to see one of the few triumphs on my journey back.
John Blom got down off the umpires chair and consoled me, I think he thought I was crying about my tennis but it still made me feel better. Then my brother came down from the stands and we shared a few moments together before the ceremony in the emotion of it all he’s been with me through everything. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a result more memorable than this one or if I will ever have a more special win.
After the ceremony we went back to the hotel, spoke with everybody back home, showered and went down to the lobby for a beer-with my opponent in the final of course. Harry is flying to China tomorrow morning at 8am and will arrive into his hotel at 2am Tuesday before playing his match in the evening. Calum and I are going to Tokyo for a few days to rest and to decompress before going to Busan, South Korea for the challenger there.
What a relentless lifestyle. That’s tennis for you.