USA vs France

I knew that we had a challenge to get fired up for our match with France after coming off the tough loss to the Czechs. But I also remembered, and reminded the girls, that the difference between third and fourth was that if we won, we'd be on the podium. We had our usual early morning hit and had a little more time, as we didn't start until 10:00. After our hit, Fran asked if I'd be ready to play singles, because Mariana was feeling a little sluggish. I jumped at the chance. That meant I was first match on. The weather conditions were perfect...sunny, no clouds and little to no wind. I knew from the first ball I hit in the warm up that I was ready. I stayed so focused through the entire match and played one of the best matches I've ever played. I won the first set 6-2 with only one unforced error. She started making a few more balls in the second set and I went down a break 4-1. I regained my focus, kept my feet moving and hustled for every ball. I came back to win the second set 7-5. The points were long, but I waited for opportunities and was able to finish points off after long rallies. The match was about two and a half hours long, and my fitness level was great. I played at a slow and controlled tempo and had great recovery between points. All the work I've done with Geoff over the past year really paid off. We had one singles down and one to go. Fran played the girl who just picked her apart last year 6-1, 6-1. Fran played a tough first set and lost 6-3. We noticed that Catherine's forehand was much more error prone, so Fran started working her forehand over pretty good and she won the second set 7-5. As Fran usually does, she got stronger and more confident with each point and game she played. She won the third set 6-3 to clinch the match for us! France conceded the doubles, so we won 3-0 over the team who beat us last year, to come in third! We were so excited, not only for our team victory, but for the great effort we all put forth to make this a team win. The presentation of the awards followed yesterday afternoon. We were proud to represent the USA as we accepted our medals. The strong Czech team that beat us by a third set and who was unseeded, upset Team Italy to win the Cup. Just like last year, we were one set away from the finals. It's been an awesome week. So much like last year, but just different enough to present new experiences and challenges. Today is an off day for me, but Phil's team is playing for the Austria Cup against Australia this morning. We'll have a front row seat to cheer his team on. We watched the USA women's 75 win their Cup yesterday. It's great having all the age groups together so we can experience their joys of victory and sorrows of defeat together. I'll post again later with Phil's results. Last night was the players Gala Dinner, which was nothing less than spectacular. The setting was beautiful, around the huge pool area with candelabras, live music and the most awesome fireworks I've ever seen! The draws have been posted for the individuals that start tomorrow. Phil and I are both seeded sixth and have byes, so we won't play until Monday.

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