British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Thanks for letting me know

It has been a funny last couple of days.

Anna felt quite ill yesterday with a heavy cold, but was managing and qualified for the singles final. During the final box group mixed doubles match Anna was doing well. Then during the 2nd set the speedway next door started up. It was very loud and overloaded Anna's senses. Anna just got through the match, but was in floods of tears. We were told that it would not be on the next day.

Then Anna was up all night being sick. I did not want her to play her singles final, as she was not in a good condition. It really was not worth it and I told her it won't change her life if she gives the match to Eva. However, the team wanted her to try, with the idea that she could retire. She was given loads of electrolytes, fluids, energy gels and some painkillers, plus anti cramping tablets. Anna was playing at 30-50% pace and just placed the ball around the court. The French teams plans was blown apart, as they had trained for an aggressive fast paced game. Also, playing against a sick and injured player adds to the pressure and expectations. Now they had a low paced game with mixed high topspin balls, low slice and variable paced balls placed from side to side at varying depths. Anna went 3-0 up and held on to win set 1, 6-3. The coach said don't retire, you can win this. In the 2nd set, instead of retiring when feeling dizzy, Anna asked for a medical timeout. She had a nebulizer with a bit of oxygen, after which she went 4-2 up. Up to this point the coach was trying to manage Anna's energy levels and now he said push on to win it. Anna upped the tempo to win it 6-2.

Later in the semi's of the mixed doubles Anna and her partner Fab were cruising and then in the 2nd set the speedway started up again. It was so loud and Anna was really upset. She has very sensitive hearing and has always struggled with loud low bass noise. Somehow Anna who was in tears went into auto pilot and they won the match, after which Anna melted down. They were insisting that Anna played the final of the mixed today, which we were not happy about. The GB team told them straight that the speedway would have to finish first. The speedway practice ran from 3-6pm. So the final was delayed until 6pm and being the last match had a big audience, many of who were very loud French coaches, players, parents and their other team supports. Luckily, the other half of the crowd were supporting Anna and Fab.

Fab and Anna played very well. With all the stuff and vitamins that Anna had, she said she felt drugged up. We did check that nothing was on the banned list and made sure she did not take too much. Anna played normally and shocked the French yet again with her now powerful and fast paced play. After what had gone on over the last 24 hours we were shocked also. Anna had no wrist pain and moved very well. I think the long gap and rest in a darker quiet room allowed her to recover quite well. Eva's brother thought he was being clever by treating it like a Davis Cup match and banging two empty ball tubes together to upset Anna, and it was quite loud. He is in his 20's, so it is not like he was a ten year old. It was the wrong tone to cause Anna sensory issues, but it was annoying. So Anna said to him, can you stop that as it is kind of annoying. He continued to do it, but not quite as loud until the umpire told him off, which the rest of us found funny. It was a very entertaining match with many good points for both sides. Fab and Anna won the match 6-2 6-2, but it was very competitive with a number of hard fought points and games.

So at tomorrows medal ceremony, Anna will collect 4 golds and two silver. One gold for the European singles, one gold for the World singles. Another gold for the European mixed and another for the World mixed. Fab collects the same mixed golds, his first mixed doubles title. He also won the same in the men's doubles and competes in the men's singles final tomorrow morning at 9am Poland time. The silvers will be for the European and World team prize. Anna was first in the singles and Lily was last in 9th pace, adding up to 10. The French had second (Eva) and fourth (Anais), so they will get the team golds. Australia had 5th and 6th place, so they get the World bronze. Anna did not compete in the women's doubles.

Apart from the speedway noise, I would recommend Poland as a place to visit. It is nice and the cost of living is much less than in the UK at about 60-65% of the UK's cost