Entering first tournament. Any tips/advice?

Milano

Rookie
I know there are a couple threads on tips advice, and have read them, just wondering if there was an more advice to give. This is the tournament I am joining after a friend of mine recommended it (he plays a lot of tournies...):

http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=58506

Its round robin so I will be able to play a couple of matches for the entrance fee.

Any help?

Thanks!

p.s. This is an unranked tourny too, like the princeton one down at the end of the page...I will still recieve a ranking after it though right? How are the players at these tournaments/are there big outcomes? And what should I bring?


BTW, I will be playing boys 16's.


EDIT: If the link doesnt work, the tournament ID is 100509207.
 
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ayyhwang

Rookie
My advice is to just play your game and don't let your opponent make you play his game. Don't show too much emotion or your opponent will take advantage of it.
 

Adrupert

New User
My advice is to just play your game and don't let your opponent make you play his game. Don't show too much emotion or your opponent will take advantage of it.

Yes, don't show any emotion when you make bad plays, it will give him a large boost in confidence.
 

rockthebox

Rookie
I know it sounds cliche, but just go out there and have fun. Don't set the bar too high for yourself, and don't feel pressured to do extremely well in your first tournament. The most important thing that your going to take away from this thing is experience (regardless of how nervous your gonna be in your first tourney, you will definitely feel more relaxed and confident in your next one).
 

300Gkid

Professional
lol sorry but i am pretty sure you will not recieve a ranking after this, as it is a round-robin. This will probably be pretty low-key, if your consistently winning all of these matches you should definitley be playing a higher level tourny
 

rommil

Legend
Like some have pointed out, try to have some composure regardless. I take it you are playing against kids your age where useless show of emotions are very rampant and also they tend to self destruct a lot. You will be very nervous most likely and this might take time to control. Speaking of control, try to get upset, if you have to, over things you can control, not on the ones you can't. Most of all, try to have fun.
 

Milano

Rookie
lol sorry but i am pretty sure you will not recieve a ranking after this, as it is a round-robin. This will probably be pretty low-key, if your consistently winning all of these matches you should definitley be playing a higher level tourny

Thanks a lot. As a first tournament I was not expecting to really get a ranking...I think I will be in the middle of the crowd there, but I definitely need to practice my strokes a lot before hand and learn how to close out matches better.

Just finished Winning Ugly, and am Currently reading the Inner Game of Tennis.
 

Milano

Rookie
Yea, that is not even me...I dont know, maybe they did not update it yet? Not sure, if they do not change it in a couple of days, I am going to call them and see whats up.
 

stevekim8

Semi-Pro
show all your emotions. when you miss, just get super mad and scream like marat safin. but don't break the racquets, unless you are super rich. just yell and scream, and they'll get scared, and they won't be able to hit any winners anymore because they will be afraid to see you yelling and screaming
 

Supernatural_Serve

Professional
Just finished Winning Ugly, and am Currently reading the Inner Game of Tennis.
Most everything you need to know about match play is in Winning Ugly. So, you should be ready as far as advice goes.

Inner Tennis: Playing the Game, by Timothy Gallwey, the book he wrote after the huge success of Inner Game of Tennis, is a better book than the first one. A lot more tennis specific information is in it.

First tournament, this is about gaining some experience, its not necessarily about winning, but that would be a bonus.

Don't be surprised if you meet players whose strokes you aren't impressed with but they have a way of winning. They have more match experience, probably have a better understanding of match tactics, and are more match tough which matters a lot more than strokes especially early in your career.
 
A

Alex132

Guest
don't think, just play....if u gonna give everything too much thought your screwed :p....play all out, don;t hold back like i did when i played my first ones :\.
 
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