Saturday, July 7, 2007

 

 

Hello again everyone,

 

Mara and I lost in three very tight sets today. We played very well but so did our opponents and they were just too good in the end so I can live with that. Only an hour after the women's doubles I was back on the same court partnering Jonas Bjorkman in the mixed, which we won in two sets. Then another 30-minute break before our quarterfinal, which we won in three, so it's fair to say it was an action-packed day! No rest for the wicked, as they say! A bunch of my friends were courtside cheering me on throughout my matches which was nice. The Sun was out the entire day so I could see everyone in the crowd becoming more red by the minute! I do have a spot of sunburn myself, so I'll get the SPF out Sunday!

 

If all goes to plan on Sunday, Jonas and I should play two matches, our semifinal then the final. We've been improving every single match as far as combining goes, so I'm imagining we will take it up a few notches in our next match.

 

Everyone probably thinks we all get a holiday after Wimbledon finishes; I wish that were the case! Instead, many players like myself represent their respective countries in the Fed Cup, the women's equivalent to Davis Cup. Australia is scheduled to play Ukraine next weekend IN AUSTRALIA, on the Gold Coast! As soon as I'm done playing here it's essential I jump on the next flight out direct to Australia as I must get there as soon as possible to become accustomed to the court surface, so I'm ready to play Saturday should I be selected. What a mad rush, a lot of you probably think? It's actually an ordinary situation for a tennis player to be rushing to get to an event, checking our flights before a tournament has even finished... it's very normal. However, in saying that, I'm also very much looking forward to having a break after Fed Cup. I'll head back to Melbourne, recharge my batteries then prepare on hard courts for my next major trip, where I start at Toronto first, it's go, go, go! But as I mentioned earlier, regarding a rest, it's an absolute must after such a long and intense European season. It's as much taxing mentally as it is physically; I'd say it takes an emotional toll more than anything. So, it'll be good to have a mental break from tennis soon.

 

... but not before I hopefully win the mixed with Jonas!

 

Bye for now... and cross your fingers for us!!!

 

 

Alicia Molik

 

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