I decided to participate in a tennis tournament recently, the Cryan Tennis Tournament. I heard it’s been around since 1965, so I figured it must be a pretty big deal. I found out the 50th annual one had kicked off not too long ago at Mercer County Park, so it seems like a regular thing.
I started preparing a week before the tournament. I’ve got to say, figuring out how to win was the first thing on my mind. Like, obviously, you need to win more points than the other guy. So, I did some digging and found some tips online about starting your strategy early based on your opponent’s weaknesses. Makes sense, right?
I spent the week practicing my serves, returns, and volleys, trying to get a feel for different strategies. I even watched some videos of past Cryan tournaments to see how others played. I noticed some players were really aggressive, while others were more defensive. I tried to incorporate a bit of both into my game.
On the first day of the tournament, I was pretty nervous. There were a lot of people, all warming up and looking serious. I saw some familiar faces from the local tennis club, but mostly it was all new people. I played my first match and, to my surprise, I won! It wasn’t easy, but I managed to stay focused and remember what I had practiced.
- Round 1: Won!
- Round 2: Lost, but it was a close one.
I ended up losing in the second round, but it was a really close match. I was a bit disappointed, but hey, it was my first time at this tournament. I heard that the first-round loser at Indian Wells got a good chunk of money, but I don’t think the Cryan tournament is quite at that level. It’s more about the love of the game, I guess, and maybe some bragging rights.
Learnings
Overall, it was a great experience. I got to play a lot of tennis, meet some new people, and even push myself to improve my game. I realized that strategy plays a huge role in tennis, and it’s not just about hitting the ball hard. You need to think about where you’re placing the ball and how to anticipate your opponent’s moves. It is not as easy as it looks. I’m definitely going to keep practicing and hopefully do better next year. Maybe I’ll even win a round or two more! Or win some money, haha.
