Bay Area Racquet Club (CMZ)

I had a Champ tournament on Saturday February 10, 2018 called the Bay Area Racquet Club Champ Major Zone, which I was very nervous coming into this tournament. One of the reasons was because if I went to the finals or won the tournament, I would go the next level, Super Champ! I really didn't want to mess up this opportunity. 

My friend Kori and I practiced a bit after the rain.

It was raining a lot in the morning. The courts at BARC (Bay Area Racquet Club) were really wet. They decided to cancel Saturday and play on Sunday at Harry Taylor Tennis Center.

Readying early in the morning, I felt pretty decent about Sunday's matches. The only thing was that it was single elimination! This meant that if I lose any of my matches I was out. This made me even more nervous! I told myself that whatever happens, I have to play like a fighter, not a hider! (That is great advice in my opinion!)

Walking off the court! My tired, winning smile.

My first opponent was Gina Mepham. I stayed consistent while putting pressure whenever possible. I needed to keep her defending so I could finish the point at the net. We had to play short sets because of the rain delay. Sticking to my plan, I won, 4-0, 4-1. This match boosted my self-confidence and made me believe that I had a lot more potential than I thought! I needed to be a fighter. That was my goal.

Catching up with my friend, Maya Diyasheva ;-)

My second opponent was Emma Curiel. She hit flat shots that were really low to the ground and made me make a lot of errors in the first set. But, she was the one making more errors in the second set. Then we went into the tiebreaker, I held my nerves, playing high percentage tennis; be persistent and consistent! This led me to a 2-4, 4-2, (10-2) victory.

This match made me rethink my plan as I felt like my opponents were making more unforced errors than forced errors. I decided I needed to show my aggression while staying consistent. In my mind, I needed to prove to myself that I win the matches because of the way I played. I needed to take control and play, like a tennis-lover! I didn't want to be a scared, non-competitive, timid person that didn't want to compete. My mind was set for my next match! 

Confidently (read: nervously) waiting for my next match!

My third opponent was Milla Dopson. She was a lefty which I had to get used to throughout my match so I don't get confused. I was pretty confident at the beginning of my match. During the first set, I played with zero emotions. (That is good because you can't let your emotions, like fear, get in the way of your game.) But as soon as we started the second set, an overwhelming feeling of doubt covered me like a blanket. This made me lose my concentration and focus. We had to go to a tiebreaker. Ugh! That was the part where I got impatient and started going crazy! SO. MANY. MISTAKES! Sadly, I lost the match, in short sets, 4-1, 0-4, (4-10).

A huge wave of feelings came over me as I was walking to the tournament desk to report the scores. Confusion, sadness, disappointment, anger, and so on! These emotions didn't feel right. Okay, right now, most of you are probably thinking, "Karina! Of course, it doesn't feel right! You lost when you really wanted to win! No one likes losing! You're probably just sad." 

But I have to tell you, I didn't really feel sad. I was in a deep feeling somewhere inside me that I couldn't figure out. Was it disappointment? Anger? Something in between? I need to look deeper inside of me to figure out my game, and my feelings.

One thing I'm sure, a competitive tennis match brings out the best and the worse of who I am!

Stay strong,
Karina Zaharieva