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University of Houston Athletics
Making a Racquet - Vol. 7
2/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
Feb. 17, 2015
"In tennis, it is not the opponent you fear, it is the failure itself, knowing how near you were but just out of reach." - Andy Murray
It was a short but not-so-sweet road trip to Kansas for the Cougars last weekend, as we got so close to the win but couldn't quite reach it on Saturday against the Jayhawks.
We set off on Friday morning, ready to face the chilly weather up north and to take on the Jayhawks looking for a bit of revenge from last year's match, when they earned a 4-3 victory.
We landed in sunny but cold Kansas City and after an easy two-hour flight, we were ready to hit the indoor courts for a short practice before the big match.
After a relaxing evening on Friday, we woke on Saturday eager to carry on with our winning formula from the previous weekend. With our usual pre-match warm up done, it was time to start the doubles matches.
The day started positively for the Cougars, as the Greeks got the win on court one, and with a lead on court two from Tina and Maria, things were looking promising. However, the lead soon started to fade away as the Jayhawks took the match on court three, and unfortunately they clawed their way back into the match to get the win on court two and earn the doubles point.
It was now down the singles, and we would need four solid wins to go home with the victory. Debbie started the ball rolling for the Cougars with a convincing win to even out the score. But Kansas weren't going to go home without a fight, and they took the match on court three. Elena soon turned the score back around to level it again making it 2-2, and with a win from Mina on court five we soon had the lead, as well as the momentum.
Sadly, we couldn't keep the lead, as the Jayhawks fought back from behind on both of the remaining courts to earn the last two points and win the match.
But everyone suffers a drop in form sometimes, and good athletes know what's not firing properly and know what to work on to fix the problem and move on. It might be technical, tactical or mental, or even a combination of those three, but one thing stays the same, and that's the desire to win.
We will now focus on the positives and put the negatives behind us. Our team is as committed as ever to making this a great season. We have a chance to turn it around this weekend, when we take on Missouri and Utah at Houston Country Club.
We hope to see you there!
(Editor's Note: "Making a Racquet" is written by senior women's tennis player Charlotte Phillips, who is interning with the Houston Athletics Communications department this semester. Throughout the season, Charlotte will provide a behind-the-scenes look into the Cougar tennis program, including practice stories, match recaps, interesting anecdotes and notes from the road. Today's entry reflects on last week's heartbreaking loss to Kansas and the ways Houston plans to rebound.)
VOLUME VII - FEB. 17, 2015
 | IT WASN'T TO BE... |
"In tennis, it is not the opponent you fear, it is the failure itself, knowing how near you were but just out of reach." - Andy Murray
It was a short but not-so-sweet road trip to Kansas for the Cougars last weekend, as we got so close to the win but couldn't quite reach it on Saturday against the Jayhawks.
We set off on Friday morning, ready to face the chilly weather up north and to take on the Jayhawks looking for a bit of revenge from last year's match, when they earned a 4-3 victory.
We landed in sunny but cold Kansas City and after an easy two-hour flight, we were ready to hit the indoor courts for a short practice before the big match.
After a relaxing evening on Friday, we woke on Saturday eager to carry on with our winning formula from the previous weekend. With our usual pre-match warm up done, it was time to start the doubles matches.
The day started positively for the Cougars, as the Greeks got the win on court one, and with a lead on court two from Tina and Maria, things were looking promising. However, the lead soon started to fade away as the Jayhawks took the match on court three, and unfortunately they clawed their way back into the match to get the win on court two and earn the doubles point.
It was now down the singles, and we would need four solid wins to go home with the victory. Debbie started the ball rolling for the Cougars with a convincing win to even out the score. But Kansas weren't going to go home without a fight, and they took the match on court three. Elena soon turned the score back around to level it again making it 2-2, and with a win from Mina on court five we soon had the lead, as well as the momentum.
Sadly, we couldn't keep the lead, as the Jayhawks fought back from behind on both of the remaining courts to earn the last two points and win the match.
But everyone suffers a drop in form sometimes, and good athletes know what's not firing properly and know what to work on to fix the problem and move on. It might be technical, tactical or mental, or even a combination of those three, but one thing stays the same, and that's the desire to win.
We will now focus on the positives and put the negatives behind us. Our team is as committed as ever to making this a great season. We have a chance to turn it around this weekend, when we take on Missouri and Utah at Houston Country Club.
We hope to see you there!
Charlotte
Players Mentioned
/ Tennis
The Weekend that Was Vol. II
Tuesday, February 17
The Weekend that Was.
Tuesday, February 10
11AM - Tennis, Courts 6 & 4: University of Houston vs. Kansas State
Sunday, April 07
11AM - Tennis, Courts 3 & 5: University of Houston vs. Kansas State
Sunday, April 07