Hello everyone, this is Katie O’Brien writing to you as a novice blogger. I’m a little apprehensive but I’m pleased to have the opportunity of giving you an insight into my life as a professional tennis player.
This week I’m competing in the $100,000+H ITF event in Torhout, Belgium along with fellow Brit, Anne Keothavong. It’s going to be a tough tournament, but I’m looking forward to the challenge as I’ve been playing some good tennis this year.
It was a real milestone for me to qualify for the Australian Open and I’ve carried the confidence gained from that into my matches ever since. I’ve won two tournaments in Sutton and Jersey and I’ve compiled a 23/5 win/loss record for the year, so I’m pretty happy with my progress. I’ve tried to adopt a more positive attitude this year, and along with persistent hard work, I guess it’s starting to pay off for me.
Torhout is a small town not far from Bruges, which appears to be inhabited by considerably more farm animals than people. This part of Belgium is renowned for its chocolate, and as chocolate is my favourite treat (especially of the dark variety), I might have to exercise a little more self control than usual this week!
It’s my first time here, but I’m impressed by the effort made by the organisers to host an enjoyable event for both the players and spectators. The lighting along the players entrance is really quite striking and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d just entered a nightclub!
/Generic/Blogs/Katie%20OBrien/2009-OBrienKatieSutton-JJ-400x300.jpg)
Porsche are providing the courtesy cars this week, so it’s fair to say the players will be travelling in style. Anne seems intent on taking the Porsche Boxster for a spin, but personally, I think the tournament organisers would be mad to let her anywhere near it!
One day before the tournament, most of the preparation has already been done, so it’s just a matter of doing a little bit of fine tuning here and there and making sure I’m as fresh as possible for my first match. I’ve already had an 8am practise with Anne this morning, which for someone who loves their sleep, was a little early for my liking, but it was the only time we could guarantee getting a full court. I’m most definitely looking forward to a little nap later!
The hotel is nice here and perfect for some relaxation. I’m particularly happy that we have BBC1 and BBC2 on our TVs, so I won’t miss out on The Apprentice this week. I don’t watch much TV, but The Apprentice is an absolute “must see” programme for me!
I also often read the British papers online and listen to music to unwind, but I have a nasty habit of overplaying songs I like, to the point I can no longer stand to hear them. At the moment, the doomed song is the rather appropriately named “In For The Kill” by La Roux.
/Generic/Blogs/Katie%20OBrien/2009-OBrienKatiePorsche-KOB-400x300.JPG)
For almost a year now, I’ve been studying with the Open University which fills a lot of my free time. I’ve already completed a course in Personal Finance, and I’m currently taking two courses in Business Studies and Social Sciences. I eventually hope to attain a Business Studies degree. I actually quite like studying and I enjoy the mental stimulation it provides.
However, it’s fair to say that timeliness is not my strong point. I’m already a week late for my assignment on globalisation, which is still very much a work in progress. It would be a minor miracle if I met a deadline in the first place, but the fact that I broke my laptop last week and I left my textbook in Jersey really hasn’t helped matters!
I had a hard time deciding which photo would accompany this blog. It was a split decision between the local cow and the Porsche, but I eventually opted for the Porsche…I figured it was a little more photogenic!
I’ll be ready to go whenever my first match is. I just need to decide which outfit to wear now. As I got my new kit from Fred Perry last week, it might be a tougher decision than usual!