Okay, sorry... but i'm gonna keep this short and quick!
Canada Open was a great success! The Richmond Oval was absolutely stunning to play in. Although people did complain it was hard to see, there was a draft, courts were hard... I thought it was a great arena to play in, who cares about the draft, and it's no different than clearone!! So overall, pretty good! I lost first round doubles to the 6th seeds from Austria, Jurgen Koch and Peter Zauner 23-21, 21-17. I played quite well but found a lot of places in which to improve on. Mixed, I made it past my first round but ended up head to head with Korea's Shin Baek Choel and Yoo Hyun Young. First game I got raped 21-11. This was my first mixed match playing at this level and I honestly played my mixed like I do doubles and hell, it DUSNT work!! So I changed it up, stopped competing my drives with Shin Baek Choel and man, did it make a difference! I still lost my 2nd game.. but it was much closer.. 22-20. My partner Xuelian(lydia) had a super clutch ace serve to tie it up at 19-20!!
Ooh yes.. I also strung 54 rackets for players that tournament!! Holy crap!! Chayut Triyachart broke 17 strings in total that tournament!!! Thank goodness there were others to help string!!
US Open was the week after. Took me over 13 hours from arriving at the airport in Vancouver to arriving at my hotel in LA. Yikes!! But still, a good $92 spent!
I got through the first rounds of mixed and doubles pretty easily. But now I had to play Ellis/Langridge from England in doubles and Schoettler/Marinello of Germany in Mixed. Mixed was played first.. I was pretty nervous cuz Marinello was in the Women's doubles final in Canada Open and I've seen Schoettler play doubles..
Anywhooo... i lost my first game against Schoettler and Marinello 21-14. Determined and taking my new found experience from the week before at Canada Open, I brought the match to 3 winning 21-15! The third game started with Lydia and I with a pretty big lead. I believe we were winning 17-13 yet I remember myself being pretty nervous!! I kept thinking "Shit!!! I have to get 4 more points cuz they can still catch up!!!!!" Well, lucky for me, they only got 1 more.. I won 14-21, 21-15, 21-14!! Yay!! Quarter Finals at a Grand Prix GOLD!!
Next was my doubles and my god i dun even want to talk about it... I played like crap. Maybe cuz I played a few hours later.. I was was pretty hungry... I dont know. No excuses.. I played like crap and didnt even get a chance to get into the game. If i played well and lost, then sure, I'd feel a bit better.. but I played like shit and got owned... FML... i lost 21-12, 21-16.. Uuuuughhh!!!
Quarter Finals... Mixed Doubles.. Lydia and I now played Hong Kong Open/Indo SS champions, Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Zieba from Poland, the 1st seeds... also the #3 rank mixed pair in the world... Well, first game we were neck and neck.. We were biting their tail the whole match yet lost 21-17... I really thought we could have taken the first... 2nd game, they strategized a lot better. They kept Lydia at the back and our rotation was messed or even so, non-existent.. Lost 21-13 :(... At least now I know what we need to work on!!! Next time, I will do much better!
