This weekend Sean was registered for a Level 3 tennis tournament. The tournament started on Saturday and we had planned for him to play that day. With the long weekend and our Wedding Anniversary, we planned for the kids to have a sleep over at their cousins on Saturday and a have a laid back Monday!!
The goal for Sean going into the tournament was to stay positive and focused and play the best tennis he could on every point. He had a pretty rough few tournaments coming into this one and we were desperate for a win that would get his confidence back. Everyone including all his coaches at the club agreed that he had a very strong game and it was just a matter of time for everything to tie in together.
He had been putting a lot of pressure on himself and that was hurting him. We just wanted him to relax and have a good time.
The draws came out on Thursday and he was to play the number 2 seed in the first round. More than anything this meant he will be playing a kid that has more experience playing tournaments and at this age that makes a difference to their mental attitude and confidence. We decided not to tell him about the seeding of the other player but kept emphasizing that he should not let the ranking or a seed of another player affect his game.
DAY 1 -
His game was at 9:15 and we got started a little after 7:30 am. The drive was relatively short – just over an hour and since it was in West Virginia the scenic route was calming for all of us. Rhea of course kept us all entertained with her one liners through the journey. We passed a lot of farmland and she kept looking to see horses. Finally when we spotted a few, she said, why are the horses showing us their butt
We got there on time and checked in at 8:45am. It was at a high school and they had about 8 courts and another park where they had 3 courts. They were on schedule and the game started on time. I took a seat under the shade right outside his court and the other parents were also there. It was a nail biter right from the get go. For this tournament, it was 6 games to a set and a 7 point tie break if they were at 6-6. If they split the first 2 sets, the third set was a super tie-break which was a 10 point tie break with a difference of 2. They also had Add-ins which means Advantage points for the deuce. This resulted in very long points especially since most of the games went into deuce. The first set took almost an hour and went into tie break which Sean won 7-6. The second set, he lost a little bit of momentum and his opponent Jack had it in the bag at 4-6. The final tie break was a nail biter but Sean won it at 10-7. I had tears in my eyes when I saw his reaction after the final point. He was on his knees completely in disbelief. It was a true validation for him that he really had a great game, it was just a matter of it all coming together. So round 1 over with a score of 7-6, 4-6, 10-7. The kids went and reported the score and found that the quarter finals was at 3:15pm.
There was a good 4 hours which was good. It also helped that they had the high school rest rooms and hallway open for the tournament so people could rest up in the comfort of the shade. It was getting really hot as the day went on and we were not sure how the next round would go. I had packed sandwiches and snacks and fruits. So Sean was able to rest and relax after the game and of course there were other kids from his club, so they were busy playing. Our friends Ittirachen and Sunita also came by in the afternoon, their son Alex was playing the under 12’s. Sean’s second game started a bit late around 3:40pm and I knew that this was going to be a tough one. We just hoped that he will have the physical energy and the mental toughness to hang in there to the end.
This one was even more of a bigger nail biter than the first. They went neck and neck in the first set and almost every game went into deuce. Finally the tie break at 6-6 and he lost the point and set 6-7. That was a big emotional down for him and I kept praying that he get the strength to get over that hump. Parents are not allowed to coach from the sidelines so we did what we could…a lot of praying, clapping and encouraging. The second set had its share of drama. He was leading 4-2 and his opponent missed his footing on the ground and fell. For a few moments he didn’t seem to be able to get off the court but then he came back and seemed fine and decided to continue. Sean lost the next 2 games and it became 4-4. I prayed for him to be able to get the next 2 games and he did!! Whoo what a relief!! And so now came the tie breaker. Sunita stopped by and told us that per USTA rules you could coach for 5 minutes before the start of the third set tie-break. So we spoke to him, just told him to be patient and not rush into points. Ittirachen also spoke to him on the phone and that was a very sweet gesture. He seemed pumped up after that 2 minute pep talk. I must have aged a good 10 years in the last tie-break. They went neck to neck and Sean had match point at 9-8 but lost it and then on it was just so difficult to watch every point. With heart beat racing, I don’t know how Sean went through it. It was clear that both the kids were physically, mentally and emotionally drained. And finally it all ended at 15-13. What a joy and what an elation!! I have never experience that joy ever before! He was on his knees and hands tears rolling down his cheeks in disbelief that it was finally done and he had done it!! The battle lasted a little over 2.5 hours and victory was SWEET!
Through the match, he had his angry moments with himself when he missed an easy point, he had his moments of ‘yes I can do this’ with his fist pumped when he won a difficult point but more importantly he was able to hang in there and get it done!!! We were so proud of him!!! And this meant that he was now in the semi-finals!! The game was the next day morning at 10:15 which really didn’t give him enough time to recover from this brutal battle.
He was very sore that night barely ate dinner because he just couldn’t eat more than a few spoonfuls of dinner and had a headache. We tried to hydrate him as much as we could that night and the next morning.
DAY 2 -
He woke up saying he was feeling good but silently we knew that his body must be still tired from what it went through. It definitely showed in the semi-final match. He was sluggish in his movements and his serve was not the same and he couldn’t really get into a rhythm. He lost 2-6,2-6. But we were really happy about what he had achieved till then.
One of the kids mom’s said that there was only one time that had signed up for the doubles thus far. So Justin who he played in the semi-finals and he decided to partner up for the doubles. Only thing the doubles was the next day. He also had one more game that day to determine third and fourth place and it was at 5:45pm. So a good 6 hour wait. He didn’t want to go home and come back and so we just waited. Sunita and Ittirachen were there again and Melissa kept Rhea engaged and Sean played with his friends until the match. His opponent was already trying to get in his head saying that he was going to beat him and no amount of cajoling to stay away from that kid till the game started worked. The fatigue from the previous day showed again. He could have easily won it if he ad read the opponents game better. But I think he was just way too tired to focus. The score was 2-6, 2-6. They were giving out trophies for the first five places. So Sean got his fourth place trophy and was ecstatic!!
Sean with his Singles fourth place trophy!
On the courts where all the action was!
DAY 3 -
Sunday morning, Ajit took Sean and Rhea for the doubles. Sean and Justin had their chances, they were 5-6 but then Justin was a bit sluggish that day and they lost. Final score being 8-5. It was a single set, 8 game match. Sean got his runners-up trophy for the doubles.
Sean with his partner receiving his doubles trophy!
A Nadal moment!
So two trophies this week and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was the perfect Anniversary gift for us!!
