Knowing our match would resume at 10 a.m., we planned for an early breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and made sure to prepare all our equipment right after. By 8:15, we got into our mobility routine—bands and shadow swings—to activate Stefi’s body before her pre-match practice session.
At 9:00 a.m. sharp, we were on court. We started with rallies, volleys, and smashes, focusing particularly on serves and returns since we were restarting the match with Stefi serving at 4-4. After a solid 30 minutes of ball contact, we headed back indoors to finalize our game strategy.
Reviewing the stats from yesterday, we identified our opponent’s backhand return as the weaker shot. Based on that, we mapped out our serve directions for the first game. We also discussed returning more aggressively if the serve wasn’t too flat. A bit more footwork work and shadow drills, and we were ready to hit the court.
At 10:00 a.m., the umpire called the players back on court. After a quick warm-up with old balls, we got the ones used before yesterday’s suspension, and the match resumed at 4-4 with Stefi serving. Our game plan worked perfectly—Stefi quickly moved ahead 5-4.
In the next game, the opponent struggled to find rhythm, which made her more dangerous. She played two fearless points, hitting winners out of nowhere. At 30-30, Stefi managed to get to set point at 40-30, but the opponent responded with a flat, powerful serve to Stefi’s backhand. The game dragged to deuce, and Stefi got a second set point. This time, though, her opponent hit an unreturnable serve, and with two more risky but successful shots, she took the game. We were back at 5-5.
We held serve, reaching another tiebreaker, trying to stay aggressive and prevent the opponent from taking control. However, in the tiebreak, a combination of luck and the opponent’s aggressive style broke our momentum. The match ended in a tough 7-6, 7-6 loss.
It was a hard situation for Stefi, especially since she played so well despite the disrupted rhythm. She had chances to close both sets, but her opponent took big risks at the right moments and had the luck to win the key points.
After calming things down and helping Stefi stay positive, we prepared for the doubles match scheduled for 3:00 p.m. After some rest and lunch, it was time to hit the court again. Thankfully, the weather was great, with the sun making the 6°C temperature feel comfortable.
The doubles match was a roller coaster. Stefi and her partner started strong, but a couple of good games from their opponents shifted the momentum, and we found ourselves a set down. From the sidelines, I still believed we had a good chance to win—the opponents were also inconsistent. Sure enough, we played a much stronger second set, which took us into a super tiebreak.
Once you’re in a super tiebreak, it’s like a lottery—anything can happen. At 8-9 down, match point for the opponents, it felt like the end, but miraculously, they hit the ball out, giving us a lifeline. Stefi and her partner held on and closed the match 13-11.
As I titled today’s entry: We win or we learn, and today we did both. It’s been an amazing experience returning to the pro tour with Stefi. We worked hard every day, analyzing, correcting, improving, and having deep conversations about tennis and life.
I’m so proud to see how the little six-year-old I used to coach has grown into a determined young woman, deeply committed to her dream. I’ll continue to stand by her side, and I’m confident that her moment will come soon.
Now, it’s time to head back and return to my duties in Dubai!!