An exhausted but happy team with their trophy!
John Trehearn, 12U Girls National Age Group Captain, blogs from the Tennis Europe Winter Cup Qualifying in Turkey.
An outstanding day for the team today as we defeat Romania 3-0 to qualify for the finals.
Maria Budin started in great form with a win at No2 singles. Maria achieved her goal of improving her first serve percentage from yesterday and today increased it to a much more healthy 70%. This really laid the foundation to her win against a tricky opponent who cleverly switched tactics in the second set.
Maria managed to deal with the numerous short angle backhands, slicing slow and deep to the middle allowing herself recovery time and cutting down the angles. A good lesson on why it's important to have a good single handed slice that gives you great reach out wide.
Maria's win put added pressure on the Romanian No.1 as she now HAD to win to keep them in the tie. Ali Collins however played the match of her life defeating Romonia Chivu 6-2, 6-3 in a really high level match full of quality tennis from both girls.
Ali also managed to improve her 1st serve percentage to 70% (spooky) and this stopped her super aggressive opponent attacking her second serve. Ali managed to wrestle back the momentum at 1-2 down with runs of seven and 11 successive points to take the first set 6-2. Ali was having to play 'on the red line' though, counter attacking, defending for all her worth, mixing the pace, spins and trajectory and injecting some devastating drop shots that proved decisive.
Chivu regrouped in the second set. That's what good players do and she once again came out throwing all she had at Ali in terms of pace, aggression and fighting attitude. An absolutely key game at 1-3 down proved to be pivotal.
The girls delighted after their win
At the last national training camp before Christmas, we gave the girls a presentation on momentum. Part of this covered the issue of how certain moments tend to turn matches around and this was one of those really hard fought, long games that swing a match one way or another.
Ali bravely hung on to her service game as she needed to do, making crucial first serves under pressure and saving three game points. This was a massive hold. 1-4 down could have been a completely different story. Having held serve, Ali went into top gear with the momentum now firmly back in her favour. A series of winners followed including forehand and backhand winners, drive volleys and drop shots. Ali was really revved up now!
However the shot of the week was an UNBELIEVABLE double handed backhand winner down the line from well outside the court that rocketed right into the corner of baseline and sideline on the first point of the game when serving for the match. Novak Djokovic would have been pleased with this one, as under pressure from a fierce backhand cross court, Ali somehow threaded it around the net post like a bullet out a gun, smack bang into the corner. Sensational stuff!
There was no stopping Ali no, she was 'in the zone' playing on pure adrenalin. Game, set, match and qualification Great Britain. Get in there!
After a celebratory cheese toastie for lunch Donia and Maria teamed up together to clinch the 3-0 win in the doubles. This was more of a struggle but with great teamwork, pace from the back of the court and decisive net play the girls pulled through. Well done girls.
Next up, players' party! Hamburger and chips and homemade waffles! What a day to remember.
Tomorrow we play Slovenia. Both teams will qualify but the victors go to Sheffield for the Winter Cup Finals as group winners on 10-12th Feb and will avoid the other three qualifying group winners in the first round. Now that's worth fighting for!
Unfortunately GB Girls lost 3-0 to Slovenia today in their final match, having already qualified yesterday.
Ali Collins who was No.1 singles was unable to play having taken a late 'fitness' test this morning during warm up. Ali had pulled her lower back in the final moments of her singles match yesterday and it had stiffened up over night.
Donia Abdel-Aziz stepped up to play last minute and lost at No.2 singles 6-3, 6-3. Maria Budin moved up to No. 1 and lost 6-0, 7-6. Maria and Donia then teamed up again to play the doubles, eventually losing 7-6 in the third set after another see-saw battle.
A tough finish but the overall objective was to qualify for the finals in Sheffield in ten days time and we've done that.
Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovac Republic, Germany, Belarus and Great Britain now make up the eight teams that will fight to become the inaugural Tennis Europe Winter Cup Champions 2012.
The Tennis Europe Winter Cup by HEAD 12U Girls Finals will take place at Graves Tennis Centre, Sheffield, between 10th-12th February 2012.
John
You can keep up to date with the GB team's progress at the 12U Tennis Europe Winter Cup in Sheffield from 10th-12th February at www.lta.org.uk.
As well as the 12U Girls in Istanbul, the 12U Boys team of Ewen Lumsden, Cameron Kerr, Harry Butler and Captain Nick Brown are in qualifying action in Pruhonice, Czech Republic.
27/12/11 - 29/01/12 - (Boys) Pruhonice, Czech Republic, (Girls) Istanbul (TUR)