I can't win in the first round of a tournament.

[TalkingTennis91]

Good God. I cannot win in the first round of a tournament. I play very well, I think, in practice, I'm about a 4.5 junior with an all court game...but that game stays at home when it's time to play a match. Anyone have anything to say about this? Thanks.

[bad_call]

how many tourneys have u played? it's very dependent on the draw so don't be discouraged. if your strokes are sound then focus on picking up any weaknesses in your opponent. you'll be surprised when u find one and can successfully exploit it. :)

[TonyB]

Maybe you're not really a 4.5?

To be serious, ratings are only meaningful if you can play up to them. Otherwise, your rating should be based on the level at which you can consistently play.

For me, I can hang with 5.5+ rated hitters all day long. That's not the problem. For me, the problem is consistency, so my "true" rating is much lower. When I play matches, I sometimes lose to 4.0 rated players, because they can hit more consistently. Even though my speed and power can overwhelm them, it's not enough to win a match if they can hang in there and keep getting the ball back. When I make errors on putaways, become overly aggressive on approach shots (hitting them long), and rush my volleys on key points, that's sometimes all it takes to turn the match against me.

I suspect that's what might be happening to you. Try to get it out of your head that "you're really better than this." It all comes down to match day performance. There's a lot to be said about the mental psychology of tennis, and I'm not sure you're taking the mental part of it seriously enough on match day.

[Venetian]

Match play is vastly different from hitting around. You may think you're around a certain rating only to find out when you enter a tournament or league that you're not even close. It's just the reality of using a self-rating system.

You might want to give thought to playing a level down in the next tournament you enter. Or when you hit around with friends, ask them to play actual sets with you. This will help you get better at match play.

[LuckyR]

Good God. I cannot win in the first round of a tournament. I play very well, I think, in practice, I'm about a 4.5 junior with an all court game...but that game stays at home when it's time to play a match. Anyone have anything to say about this? Thanks.



Hate to break it to you but half of everyone in the tourney loses in the first round. That just means that you are probably in the second half. If you played a seeded player, you could be in the top quarter and still lose in the first round. Tennis is brutal, that's just the way it is...

[Bagumbawalla]

Say there are 32 entries in a tournament. 16 are going to lose right off the bat. The ones that go out first may very wll be true low level 4.5s. Those that go on to win are sometimes 5.0s who want to win a tournament rather than truely test their skills in the proper category.

I agree with TonyB, that you should consider playing one step down, in order to gain match experience.

[th____44]

i've played just 4 tournaments....it's incredible how your game
sucks on that matches....
when i play with my friends,everything works as i want to, but on
tourneys....my game really sucks....maybe because of the lack of experience
on tournaments....i always loose in 4th round....i'm just amazed of that, because
i play horrible on the first matches,so i cant figure ow on earth im able to reach
4th round :mrgreen:
anyway....this is completly normal....
with time,you'll get used to play on tournaments i you would be able to feel
relaxed,that means,you'll play better

[Dunlopkid]

Yeah, experience is key.

[fuzz nation]

I'm a lot more experienced in doubles tourneys than singles and without a partner to talk things over with in a singles match, I try to analyze everything at once. My brain seizes and I relapse to doubles thinking where I try to be too agressive on most every ball. The solution has been so simple, it's hilarious; flash cards. Yep, I bring a to-do list of only a few things and check it on changeovers. It works for me really well and the thing I usually put right at the top--eye on the ball!

Keep on grinding.

[kevhen]

Your opponents won't play like your friends that you are used to hitting with. Play more matches to get more experience. Try to relax a little when playing in tournaments as they are more stressful.

[erap]

u probly suCK?

[BabolatFan]

If you have the strokes of 4.5, you need to practice alot more and get more match play to get used to it. Maybe your mental toughness needs to be improved. Your mind controls everything you do on court, so...

[The Gorilla]

do what wilander did,start every game hitting to the middle of the court,then as you get more comfortable start going for more.Repeat the word focus in your head when your mind starts to wander,if you have a complete breakdown in thiught and don't know what to do with the ball,play crosscourt.

[rasajadad]

Winning matches in a tournament is WAY different than beating your buddies or practicing. You need to know why you are losing. There is a 90% possibility that your problem exists above the neck. However, have someone chart your points. For the 90% possibility read Inner Tennis or seek a coach.