Hello everyone!
Well what a day today has been. I woke up at 7:30 this morning and here I am at 18:15 just finishing my day.
I met Shahar this morning for her match at the club at 10. She warmed up in small garden where all the players warm up with 21 bodyguards around. We had military police today as well. We then moved to our pre assigned court where we met our partner and warmed up for the customary half an hour.
Shahar was then taken to a special area where she is on her own with her dad and myself. We waited for the match and then went on court at 12. The build up to the match was very tense as there is so much history behind this match with what happened last year. I have never seen so much media and photographers on a first round match. It is an understatement to tell you that by now the news must be all over the world, and you guys have a personal note from me…. it sure is worth it to be part of this wonderful site that itusatennis.com is running!
We played Yanina Wickmayer in New Zealand and lost there a very close match. During this match I saw many things in her game and so today I was able to put together and much revised tactic for Shahar. The match began slowly and Shahar did not really play at all the first set losing 6-3. She called me in and I tried to calm her down and get her to refocus. Refocus she did as she started playing the tactic and won the set comfortably 6-2.
Then came the famous final set. Yanina came out strong and broke Shahar on the first game and won her service game building a nice cushion. I knew though that if Shahar hanged in there and could break her she would win the set. The break came at 4-3 and then she went on to win it 7-5.
It is an understatement to say that both her dad and I shouted so loud I think the people around must have though we are in need of psychiatric help…still it was a shout that has been inside us for the last year!
After the match as Shahar is not allowed to speak to the press I had to so look out for my comments somewhere . We had some lunch and then got ready for the doubles where she partnered Galina Voskoboeva from Kazhakstan. They beat Caroline Wozniacki and Anabel Medina on a final set tie breaker 10-6 and with this put a cap to a great day and a great start to our campaign here in Dubai.
Tomorrow we have either Selina Sfar or Virginie Razzano who made the final here last year. So once again it is tough and it will not be easy, still we have every reason to be confident and hope for the best.
I hope many of you are following us and you know it would be nice to hear from some of you when you have a chance.
I am on my way to the shower, as you would not believe how much one sweats from the side of court!
Have a great day or evening wherever it might be that you are around the world
Pablo
Please visit us at http://www.itusatennis.com/
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Another day in Dubai for Shahar
Hello:
I hope everyone is doing well today and your weekend has been a relaxing one so far, and before I forget Happy Valentines Day to all you lovers out there!
I woke up this morning to a beautiful view from my room though there is some considerable amount of smog here especially over the main city centre. I didn’t sleep very well as there are 3 hours difference with Paris, and though that does not sound like much it is enough to affect you when you are trying to fall asleep.
I had a very nice breakfast and read the newspaper before heading to the courts for our first practice with Samantha Stosur. Shahar felt somewhat tired and is not a surprise considering the trip we had to make to get here and the fact she has not really stopped since she played the Fed Cup. Still we felt the practice was a good one and Shahar even got a complement from Sam’s coach, Dave Taylor, about how much she has improved which is always very nice to hear especially from fellow coaches on the tour.
After the practice I worked a bit with Shahar on her footwork on a specific ball that made much difference once she adjusted to the right pattern of movement. I believe the footwork of a tennis player is so important as the tennis shot in my view begins from the ground up. Too many people move their racquet before they move their feet, and this unfortunately almost always means that they will end up hitting the ball uncomfortably and at the incorrect contact point. This is something that happens not just at the club levels of the game but also at this level.
The problem begins with the way a player thinks when she sees a tennis ball coming at them. Whatever the brain activates first will make the difference if it’s a good shot or not. If it’s the racket more than likely it will mean the incorrect stroke being hit, if it’s the feet normally the body will be in the ideal position and the balance of the body will be positive and not negative. Much like a foundation on a building. It it’s built properly then the building will be strong and not break down. This is, I guess a principle that can be used in life as well. Foundations is what is a about. You can’t have a nice house or a nice roof without the right foundation to hold it up.
This afternoon we are going to be playing with a hitter the tournament will be hiring for us so we will work on the last few things before our match tomorrow against Yanina Wickmayer from Belgium.
I suspect I will be going out tonight to see a bit of Dubai and so be sure that I will tell you what I find in tomorrows blog.
Enjoy your day and don’t forget to call that special one before the day is out. God bless.
Pablo
Please visit us at www.itusatennis.com
I hope everyone is doing well today and your weekend has been a relaxing one so far, and before I forget Happy Valentines Day to all you lovers out there!
I woke up this morning to a beautiful view from my room though there is some considerable amount of smog here especially over the main city centre. I didn’t sleep very well as there are 3 hours difference with Paris, and though that does not sound like much it is enough to affect you when you are trying to fall asleep.
I had a very nice breakfast and read the newspaper before heading to the courts for our first practice with Samantha Stosur. Shahar felt somewhat tired and is not a surprise considering the trip we had to make to get here and the fact she has not really stopped since she played the Fed Cup. Still we felt the practice was a good one and Shahar even got a complement from Sam’s coach, Dave Taylor, about how much she has improved which is always very nice to hear especially from fellow coaches on the tour.
After the practice I worked a bit with Shahar on her footwork on a specific ball that made much difference once she adjusted to the right pattern of movement. I believe the footwork of a tennis player is so important as the tennis shot in my view begins from the ground up. Too many people move their racquet before they move their feet, and this unfortunately almost always means that they will end up hitting the ball uncomfortably and at the incorrect contact point. This is something that happens not just at the club levels of the game but also at this level.
The problem begins with the way a player thinks when she sees a tennis ball coming at them. Whatever the brain activates first will make the difference if it’s a good shot or not. If it’s the racket more than likely it will mean the incorrect stroke being hit, if it’s the feet normally the body will be in the ideal position and the balance of the body will be positive and not negative. Much like a foundation on a building. It it’s built properly then the building will be strong and not break down. This is, I guess a principle that can be used in life as well. Foundations is what is a about. You can’t have a nice house or a nice roof without the right foundation to hold it up.
This afternoon we are going to be playing with a hitter the tournament will be hiring for us so we will work on the last few things before our match tomorrow against Yanina Wickmayer from Belgium.
I suspect I will be going out tonight to see a bit of Dubai and so be sure that I will tell you what I find in tomorrows blog.
Enjoy your day and don’t forget to call that special one before the day is out. God bless.
Pablo
Please visit us at www.itusatennis.com
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Arrival in Dubai
Hello Everyone,
As promised I am updating you all as we have now finally arrived in Dubai. We were met by 8 bodyguards outside the gate who ten joined forces with another four. They have been rotated since we arrived so I guess there is probably around 20 plus assigned to us…Barrack Obama eat your heart out…
I must admit that I felt like James Bond and not a coach on the women’s tour. Our passports were taken and our bags collected as we took a back route out of the airport. Then we were handed our passports and bags and taken to the convoy of vehicles that were waiting for us with more people.
We each went to our different hotels and then met at the club at the specific court that Shahar can play on and practice. I hope you understand that for security reasons I cant give you much info or detail, as I would be putting the whole operation at risk.
Dubai of course looks better each time I am here, and though they are supposed to be broke business seems to continue as usual. The weather was nice with around 28 degrees when we landed and this evening is probably around 23 or 24 with a slight breeze. Is amazing how you can climb on a plane where it is -16 degrees and get out five hours later where is 28 degrees…
The practice was good. We used it to touch up a few things that Shahar needed to work on and then she went to her hotel and I went into the players area to take care of some practical things like booking practice tomorrow and finding someone to practice with.
Is amazing how many changes a player goes through as the weeks go by. One has to be ready to adapt and adapt so quickly. I guess is the sign of the times not just for tennis but also for all concerned. Having said this the basic principles remains intact throughout the ages and it is through doing these that the consistency and ability to change successfully comes.
We don’t have a match tomorrow so we will be practicing twice. I look forward to training once again with 8 bodyguards around us.
Have a great day.
Pablo
Please visit us at http://www.itusatennis.com/
As promised I am updating you all as we have now finally arrived in Dubai. We were met by 8 bodyguards outside the gate who ten joined forces with another four. They have been rotated since we arrived so I guess there is probably around 20 plus assigned to us…Barrack Obama eat your heart out…
I must admit that I felt like James Bond and not a coach on the women’s tour. Our passports were taken and our bags collected as we took a back route out of the airport. Then we were handed our passports and bags and taken to the convoy of vehicles that were waiting for us with more people.
We each went to our different hotels and then met at the club at the specific court that Shahar can play on and practice. I hope you understand that for security reasons I cant give you much info or detail, as I would be putting the whole operation at risk.
Dubai of course looks better each time I am here, and though they are supposed to be broke business seems to continue as usual. The weather was nice with around 28 degrees when we landed and this evening is probably around 23 or 24 with a slight breeze. Is amazing how you can climb on a plane where it is -16 degrees and get out five hours later where is 28 degrees…
The practice was good. We used it to touch up a few things that Shahar needed to work on and then she went to her hotel and I went into the players area to take care of some practical things like booking practice tomorrow and finding someone to practice with.
Is amazing how many changes a player goes through as the weeks go by. One has to be ready to adapt and adapt so quickly. I guess is the sign of the times not just for tennis but also for all concerned. Having said this the basic principles remains intact throughout the ages and it is through doing these that the consistency and ability to change successfully comes.
We don’t have a match tomorrow so we will be practicing twice. I look forward to training once again with 8 bodyguards around us.
Have a great day.
Pablo
Please visit us at http://www.itusatennis.com/
In transit in Moscow in -12 degrees
Hello everyone from a chilling Moscow Airport.
We have just arrived from Paris where I thought it was very cold until we got here. We have a five-hour wait before we can board our flight to Dubai. So far the trip has gone well without any hiccups. The visa seems to be holding up so we will see what happens when we get there.
I was briefed on the phone before leaving Paris from Dubai about the procedures that we are going to have to follow and where Shahar is allowed to go and not. She has been limited to staying in her hotel and being at the club only when she has a match or a practice. Apart from that she will have to remain in the hotel. She will have a separate locker room to everyone else and will only play in one designated court.
As you can see it is very different than anywhere else we have gone before. I must admit that I am obviously concerned but not stressed about it. I guess this is part of what we do and it comes with the territory of working with an Israeli player.
We have a practice planned for tomorrow night at 6:30 for an hour to feel the ball and try and start getting used to the change of temperature and environment which includes the court surface the balls, and the place itself as we are coming from an Indoor event. The tournament starts on Sunday, which is very inconvenient for those players that played in Paris and did well like Shahar as it means very little adaptation time. These are the things which I still don’t understand why the WTA and their councils allow such a thing to take place with one event finishing on Sunday in Paris and another one starting on the same Sunday in Dubai….the reason is anyone’s guess.
The most important for us now is going to be to adapt and hope they give us the late start we have asked for so we can have Sunday to practice and try and get used to the drastic change. We will see what the tournament authorities grant us. I am making sure Shahar is drinking the correct amount of water every hour we are on the plane and making sure she walks around every so often even though the flights are not that long this time.
I will write some more tomorrow and let you know what is happening and when and who we will be playing against as the draw is being done this afternoon at 3 pm.
Have a great weekend.
Pablo
Please visit us at http://www.itusatennis.com/
We have just arrived from Paris where I thought it was very cold until we got here. We have a five-hour wait before we can board our flight to Dubai. So far the trip has gone well without any hiccups. The visa seems to be holding up so we will see what happens when we get there.
I was briefed on the phone before leaving Paris from Dubai about the procedures that we are going to have to follow and where Shahar is allowed to go and not. She has been limited to staying in her hotel and being at the club only when she has a match or a practice. Apart from that she will have to remain in the hotel. She will have a separate locker room to everyone else and will only play in one designated court.
As you can see it is very different than anywhere else we have gone before. I must admit that I am obviously concerned but not stressed about it. I guess this is part of what we do and it comes with the territory of working with an Israeli player.
We have a practice planned for tomorrow night at 6:30 for an hour to feel the ball and try and start getting used to the change of temperature and environment which includes the court surface the balls, and the place itself as we are coming from an Indoor event. The tournament starts on Sunday, which is very inconvenient for those players that played in Paris and did well like Shahar as it means very little adaptation time. These are the things which I still don’t understand why the WTA and their councils allow such a thing to take place with one event finishing on Sunday in Paris and another one starting on the same Sunday in Dubai….the reason is anyone’s guess.
The most important for us now is going to be to adapt and hope they give us the late start we have asked for so we can have Sunday to practice and try and get used to the drastic change. We will see what the tournament authorities grant us. I am making sure Shahar is drinking the correct amount of water every hour we are on the plane and making sure she walks around every so often even though the flights are not that long this time.
I will write some more tomorrow and let you know what is happening and when and who we will be playing against as the draw is being done this afternoon at 3 pm.
Have a great weekend.
Pablo
Please visit us at http://www.itusatennis.com/
Friday, February 12, 2010
Good bye Paris...Shahar off to Dubai
Hello everyone. Still very cold here in Paris.
Shahar has just finished her match and unfortunately she lost a match where she did not play her best and the other girl played very well. This unfortunately happens in tennis like in other walks of life and professions.
One unfortunately does not have the luxury of having a good day every day. I remember that bumper sticker I often see in the USA which says that “it is better to have a bad day on the golf course than a good day at the office” I guess if those individuals made a living on a golf course like tennis players do on a tennis courts they would remove that sticker very fast from their cars. The reason they would is because golf like tennis they reveal who you are and what you need to change in order to maximize your potential. Like a mirror shows you things you cant hide so does the court or the course show you your character and what is really in there.
One thing tennis and golf do that the office does not is that they are very brutal when they show you. You see when you make mistakes on the tennis court you can’t have a meeting, like you do in the office, about them to try and sort them out. Once the mistake is made it is done. This means that a player has to be able to do two things well. Make the right decisions well and fast and know how to recover or find a way when things are not going their way.
These two skills are not easy to develop and they require much practice of the right principles. These principles I have learned over time as a coach and mentor to top players and so it is my job to help them learn them and implement them. I will be sharing some of these principles in the days to come so if you're interested learning how to turn winning tennis strategies into winning life strategies, continue to visit my blog at http://www.itusatennis.compablosblog/
We are leaving tonight for Dubai where I have heard over 25 bodyguards are waiting for us. It is going to be a very interesting week coming up. Shahar is very excited about going but at the same time she is also aware of the risks that are present. We have been reassured by the tournament that all is taken care of. We are going there in peace and with a real desire to do well on the tennis court.
I see you tomorrow once I get to Dubai.
Pablo
Please visit us at www.itusatennis.com
Shahar has just finished her match and unfortunately she lost a match where she did not play her best and the other girl played very well. This unfortunately happens in tennis like in other walks of life and professions.
One unfortunately does not have the luxury of having a good day every day. I remember that bumper sticker I often see in the USA which says that “it is better to have a bad day on the golf course than a good day at the office” I guess if those individuals made a living on a golf course like tennis players do on a tennis courts they would remove that sticker very fast from their cars. The reason they would is because golf like tennis they reveal who you are and what you need to change in order to maximize your potential. Like a mirror shows you things you cant hide so does the court or the course show you your character and what is really in there.
One thing tennis and golf do that the office does not is that they are very brutal when they show you. You see when you make mistakes on the tennis court you can’t have a meeting, like you do in the office, about them to try and sort them out. Once the mistake is made it is done. This means that a player has to be able to do two things well. Make the right decisions well and fast and know how to recover or find a way when things are not going their way.
These two skills are not easy to develop and they require much practice of the right principles. These principles I have learned over time as a coach and mentor to top players and so it is my job to help them learn them and implement them. I will be sharing some of these principles in the days to come so if you're interested learning how to turn winning tennis strategies into winning life strategies, continue to visit my blog at http://www.itusatennis.compablosblog/
We are leaving tonight for Dubai where I have heard over 25 bodyguards are waiting for us. It is going to be a very interesting week coming up. Shahar is very excited about going but at the same time she is also aware of the risks that are present. We have been reassured by the tournament that all is taken care of. We are going there in peace and with a real desire to do well on the tennis court.
I see you tomorrow once I get to Dubai.
Pablo
Please visit us at www.itusatennis.com
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hello from Paris… Shahar is through to the quarterfinals at the Paris Open...Dubai Next Week!
Hello once again and thank you for tuning in…
I am in Paris where it is really cold and we have had some nice snow in the last few days. They say it is the city of romance and though this has been the case for me here in the past this time around is strictly business.
I am here with Shahar for the Paris Open a big tournament with some great players. Shahar is through to the quarterfinals after her victory over Karolina Sprem from Croatia. It was a tough match as Karolina is a former top 20 player and is on her way back again. She plays a very powerful game and has a big serve which makes it very difficult to get into the points.
We have been working hard with Shahar and it was important to keep the momentum going after the very positive start we had to the year in New Zealand and Australia. This is very important, as it is wins under the belt that give a player confidence to take those extra risks when the point really counts. This as I told you in the past is one big difference between the top players and those that follow.
Shahar is slowly learning to be a top player again. She has come a long way from the girl I first started working with in November 2008, and the exciting thing is that she is continuing to move forward. Her come back is complete. Now we need to find a way to help her breakthrough to the top and stay there.
To do this is about the small details that make the difference, and in fact that’s what a professional is about, making sure he or she are taking care of the small details as they are the ones that make the big difference. These details are vast and they are difficult to master quickly. They must become part of who you are. To do this you must practice them every day and in time they will start to show up without the player even trying.
This is the aim as what comes natural is what holds up under pressure and again is what you do under pressure that makes the difference between winning and loosing, between braking through and staying on the fringe.
Tomorrow it looks if things continue to go, as they are, that we will be playing Lucy Safarova from the Czech Republic. Lucy is a very tough player and Shahar will have to be on her tiptop form to be able to beat her. This will be great, as it will continue to aid our preparations for the next event in Dubai where Shahar will be attending after not being able to play there last year because she was not granted a visa by the government of Dubai. I am sure many of you will know this story as it made the headlines in all the countries of the world. She was even interview by Wolf Blitzer of CNN.
As we get closer to Dubai I will share more and more of what happened last year and how it felt to be the one that had to deliver the news to Shahar that she was not going to play there after having been reassured by the Dubai authorities that she was up until the moment she stepped into the court to play the semi finals in Pattaya, the event we were at before we were supposes to go to Dubai.
See you tomorrow and stay warm….I will do my best to do so!
Pablo
Visit us at www.itusatennis.com
I am in Paris where it is really cold and we have had some nice snow in the last few days. They say it is the city of romance and though this has been the case for me here in the past this time around is strictly business.
I am here with Shahar for the Paris Open a big tournament with some great players. Shahar is through to the quarterfinals after her victory over Karolina Sprem from Croatia. It was a tough match as Karolina is a former top 20 player and is on her way back again. She plays a very powerful game and has a big serve which makes it very difficult to get into the points.
We have been working hard with Shahar and it was important to keep the momentum going after the very positive start we had to the year in New Zealand and Australia. This is very important, as it is wins under the belt that give a player confidence to take those extra risks when the point really counts. This as I told you in the past is one big difference between the top players and those that follow.
Shahar is slowly learning to be a top player again. She has come a long way from the girl I first started working with in November 2008, and the exciting thing is that she is continuing to move forward. Her come back is complete. Now we need to find a way to help her breakthrough to the top and stay there.
To do this is about the small details that make the difference, and in fact that’s what a professional is about, making sure he or she are taking care of the small details as they are the ones that make the big difference. These details are vast and they are difficult to master quickly. They must become part of who you are. To do this you must practice them every day and in time they will start to show up without the player even trying.
This is the aim as what comes natural is what holds up under pressure and again is what you do under pressure that makes the difference between winning and loosing, between braking through and staying on the fringe.
Tomorrow it looks if things continue to go, as they are, that we will be playing Lucy Safarova from the Czech Republic. Lucy is a very tough player and Shahar will have to be on her tiptop form to be able to beat her. This will be great, as it will continue to aid our preparations for the next event in Dubai where Shahar will be attending after not being able to play there last year because she was not granted a visa by the government of Dubai. I am sure many of you will know this story as it made the headlines in all the countries of the world. She was even interview by Wolf Blitzer of CNN.
As we get closer to Dubai I will share more and more of what happened last year and how it felt to be the one that had to deliver the news to Shahar that she was not going to play there after having been reassured by the Dubai authorities that she was up until the moment she stepped into the court to play the semi finals in Pattaya, the event we were at before we were supposes to go to Dubai.
See you tomorrow and stay warm….I will do my best to do so!
Pablo
Visit us at www.itusatennis.com
The Final Curtain Has Been Drawn! - January 23, 2010
Good morning fellow bloggers,
I have just woken up after finishing last night 30 minutes past midnight. Shahar unfortunately lost her singles to Carolina Wozniacki in two sets.
She dominated the first set and had three chances to break whilst 4-3 up on the first set. I believe that should she been able to do this the match would have been a totally different affair. Up until this stage Shahar applied the agreed tactic between us flawlessly. Carolina had no real answer to it and was slowly bowing to it. Unfortunately as with all top players if they are even given a chance to recover they will more than likely recover and beat you. That’s why they are at the top and as long as they do this they will remain there.
I believe much has been learned during this trip. Shahar will be nearly a top 20 player again when the new rankings come out a week this Monday. So in this respect we continue to move in the right direction, even though is her development and reaching her performance goals that really matter.
I leave Melbourne pleased but also a bit disappointed, as last night it could have been a very different affair, however that is tennis. One ball, one shot, one decision can make the difference between winning and loosing. We will continue to work hard so in the coming months Shahar can make better decisions and hopefully clear hurdles like the one she came close to but was unable to last night.
I hope you have enjoyed the blog and have been able to capture something of what life is like inside the professional circuit. I know I have enjoyed sharing it with you and of course hope that you have added something, no matter how small, to your tennis knowledge and will hopefully be able to apply it into your own path as a player or life.
I sign off and look forward to seeing you all again somehow somewhere in this wonderful site Rafael Font De Mora and his team of experts are putting together for the common benefit of every tennis player across the globe no matter what creed or ability.
God bless you and keep you strong!
Pablo
I have just woken up after finishing last night 30 minutes past midnight. Shahar unfortunately lost her singles to Carolina Wozniacki in two sets.
She dominated the first set and had three chances to break whilst 4-3 up on the first set. I believe that should she been able to do this the match would have been a totally different affair. Up until this stage Shahar applied the agreed tactic between us flawlessly. Carolina had no real answer to it and was slowly bowing to it. Unfortunately as with all top players if they are even given a chance to recover they will more than likely recover and beat you. That’s why they are at the top and as long as they do this they will remain there.
I believe much has been learned during this trip. Shahar will be nearly a top 20 player again when the new rankings come out a week this Monday. So in this respect we continue to move in the right direction, even though is her development and reaching her performance goals that really matter.
I leave Melbourne pleased but also a bit disappointed, as last night it could have been a very different affair, however that is tennis. One ball, one shot, one decision can make the difference between winning and loosing. We will continue to work hard so in the coming months Shahar can make better decisions and hopefully clear hurdles like the one she came close to but was unable to last night.
I hope you have enjoyed the blog and have been able to capture something of what life is like inside the professional circuit. I know I have enjoyed sharing it with you and of course hope that you have added something, no matter how small, to your tennis knowledge and will hopefully be able to apply it into your own path as a player or life.
I sign off and look forward to seeing you all again somehow somewhere in this wonderful site Rafael Font De Mora and his team of experts are putting together for the common benefit of every tennis player across the globe no matter what creed or ability.
God bless you and keep you strong!
Pablo
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