Could it have been me instead of Andy Murray up there?

by Steven
(Scotland)

Back in July 2001 when i was 13, 5 years after I had started playing I entered an under 14s tournament. It was my first event.

I had practiced all the time I could and even fit in some hard hitting sessions on the huge wall outside my house which was the side of someones house... but they understood.

I arrived feeling so nervous and I had a new problem to worry myself by... a brand new surface I didn't even know existed: artificial grass! How awful.

So I was brought into a conference suite over looking the courts and i had a briefing with all the other boys and then i was sent outside with the balls to take on my first opponent out side of my home town! I was nervous but i took it so serious...i wanted to win.

So after a warm up we started and low and behold...i found myself down 3-0...and i distinctly remember standing at the back of the court thinking: "There ain't no way i'm going home after the first match! just no way!"

I cant remember the format of the event, but it wasn't a regular set and it wasn't a knockout. But anyway, didn't loose another game after that and i bet him easy in the end.

I couldnt believe it! My first ever away match and i had a 100% record :) I can even remember that boy i played. Smaller than me, chubby, black hair and glasses. Out of his depth...which is where i would soon be.

My next match was against a very small chap with short blonde hair. He spawned the scottish boys red team t-shirt and was being cheered on by one Andrew Murray and his fellow team mate. Good old Judy was there also with her trademark sunglasses and track suit.

We began to play and i soon found myself in one hell of a hole. I think that one set lasted over an hour, neither one of us would give an inch and i had eventually beaten this boy on the scottish team!

I am not sure of the score but it was incredibly close and i couldnt believe i had won...and to be honest i dont think the boy and his fellow team mates were too impressed either :)

My next match was against another boy on the scottish team. I got thrashed. I dont think i got more than 2 or 3 games. But the match of the day was against Andy Murray.

The format now was regular sets, maybe cause i had amassed enough points to merit another rounds play. Best of 3 sets but needless to say he didnt need the 3 sets to beat me. For the loss of a single game he had beaten me.

I was devastated. I couldnt believe i had been beaten, which at that point was the first defeat of my life! I had been club champion back home in 1999 and 2000 and was confident enough to take my game else where to challenge new people.

But a 6-0 6-1 drubbing wasnt my idea of a challenge. But on looking back it did show i wasnt quite in his league yet, although i will admit it wasnt as bad a match as the score makes out.

There were many deuces and a few points i won had people on their feet cheering lol but maybe thats coz they felt so bad for me :) But anyway, it is my claim to the murray fame and i can say i am one to suffer at the hands of murray lol.

So a 50% win loss record is break even i say but it did put me off entering other competitions again, and i just wish i had someone to push me into playing other ones and if they did i can honestly say id be on the atp tour right now.

Winning? Who knows. Top 100? Who can tell. But ranked 1 or 1000, i would be there doing what i love and that is hitting the ball :)

The biggest thing i learnt that day that no matter the opponent, fighting till the death is paramount to victory, especially when your playing someone much better than you. Always stick in there, you never know what could happen.

Since then i have had a hit around with a mexican boy in san diego and a chap in los angeles. We played one set, and again after being down 3-0 i mounted my come back only to be halted at 5-3 up when his dad returned with their macdonalds :(

Since then, which was in 2003, i have traveled only once out of town to play an unknown guy. He was twice my age, but also twice my fitness level and had twice the experience. I got hammered. 6-1 6-1 (but I did break his serve in the second game and i aced him so it wasnt all bad!) and this is me playing the tennis of my life...although that day was poor, my timing was non existant. Artificial grass...again!!! I hate it lol.

It put me off, and i havent played him since. But after reading the information on this webasite i am tempted to purchase the ebooks and see if my new tactical knowledge would enable me to beat him as i have the shot making to trouble many a person.

Tomaz, come coach me to top 1000 (100?) glory :) hehehehe.

Sorry i typed so much. Hope you enjoyed my little (large?) story!