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Day Fourteen - Finals Day: July 5th, 2009
Hello everyone. It was an awesome feeling to wake up knowing that I was going to be competing on
We went on court around 6:30pm. The crowd seemed like they were still in shock after the men’s match. However, they quickly got involved in our match. We went down 5-2 in the first set and then played great tennis to turn it around and win 7-5 6-3. At about 8:50pm, I had hit an un-returnable serve that had finally made me a Wimbledon Champion! I jumped for joy and Anna and I embraced and enjoyed our magical moment on
My family was extremely happy. My wife was ecstatic and my Mom was crying. My mother is British and played at Wimbledon when she grew up so it had a little extra meaning for her to see me win a
Then came the mad rush. Another great tradition at
Before going to the Ball, I had to go do drug testing. We get tested a lot throughout the year. As I was leaving the drug testing area around 10pm, who was waiting outside to go next? You guessed it, #15. We had a little chat as I had not seen him since he won and I congratulated him and told him that it must have been the warm up that I had given him the day before that got him thru!
Off to the Ball we went. My mother, stepfather and their friend took our son, Brody, back to our house so that we could go directly to the dinner as we were running a little late. We really enjoyed the ball. They announce all of the Champions and then they had Roger and Serena speak about their victories. There are so many past Champions there that it really makes you feel like you are part of some exclusive club. The greatest player of all time, Rod Laver, was there. We sat a table with Anna-Lena and her coach, Dirk Dier. Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge also came and sat and chatted with us for awhile. We took a lot of pictures and then realized that it was getting late and that all of us had journeys back to our respective homes the next day. So we called it a night and went home to get some rest.
Dawn, Brody & I flew back to
Then I was off in the morning to
Well, I hope that you have enjoyed my
Cheers!
-Knowlzee
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Day Twelve: July 3rd, 2009
Sorry that I didn't get a chance to write a blog yesterday. We played against the defending champs, Bob Bryan & Samantha Stosur, on Court 1. It was a great atmosphere out there. We got bageled in the first set and then turned the match around and ended up winning 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. The match was played in a great spirit as Bob and I have played against each other a lot in mixed and try to have some fun out there as well.
We finished quite late so I just took a shower and had a quick stretch and headed home. That is when the tough decisions had to be made. We were all booked to leave on Friday back to
Our reasons were because we knew that it would be impossible to change all five of us. Life on the road is tricky because you don't know how well you will do each week and have to book a return flight-which in turn, starts the frustrating battle with the airlines over change fees and add collects and whatever else they can come up with to inconvenience you.
I spent the entire morning with Graham. He did not want to leave and it was really hard for Dawn & I to let him go. Graham and I went to
I went over to the courts shortly after. The locker room is so much quieter during the second week. We played our mixed match on
I am so excited to be in another
I am about to go to bed. Dawn The nights really cool off and that's good because most places do not have a/c.. I have tomorrow off . I'm going to practice with Roger at 2pm. I will spend the rest of the day with my family. Hope all of you are enjoying my blogs from
-Knowlzee
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Day Ten: July 1st, 2009
What a long day. I know that I had hoped for a quick and successful day in my last post. It turned out to be very long and another heartbreaker in my quest to win that elusive
We only lost serve once in the entire match and that was in the first game of the fifth. Mahesh had played an amazing game to break serve in the last game of the fourth and we may have had a little letdown on Mahesh's serve to start the fifth. A match like this is decided by the slimmest of margins and it can really drive you crazy trying to analyze everything and wonder what we could have done differently. We would have liked to have returned a little better but we have to give them credit for their serving abilities. Overall, we competed as hard as we could and left it all out there. It does not ease the pain of the loss much but as an athlete you know that things don't always go your way.
After our loss, I had about an hour and a half before I had to go back out on Court 3 to play mixed against Nestor and Vesnina. It is always hard to come back out after such a gut wrenching loss but I was excited to play with Anna and see if we could get a win to salvage the day. Also I was excited because my son, Graham, was in the stands watching and saying "Yeah Daddy, come on Daddy". We played very well and won 6-4 6-4. At least getting a win to end the day left a better taste in my mouth.
I got home just before dark, around 10PM. The kids were all asleep and I had a little pizza for dinner. I checked my emails and read all of the nice emails from my friends and family. I also had an email from Roger Federer to practice the next day. Unfortunately, I won't be able to practice with him as Anna and I have a mixed match today on Court 1 against Bob Bryan & Samantha Stosur, the defending champions. Hopefully, we will win and I can hit with Roger another day. Not only is Roger the greatest player of all time but he is such a humble, classy human being.
Well I am off to bed and am looking forward to another warm, sunny day at
-Knowlzee
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Day Nine: June 30, 2009
It was another amazingly beautiful, hot sunny day at
The locker room and the player’s area have become a little more quiet as the tournament gets into the latter rounds. It is quite nice as there aren't as many people buzzing around. The senior events start during the second week and therefore I get to catch up with some of the guys that I used to compete against who have now retired.
My family and I had a nice quiet dinner at home that my mother-in-law, Gay, prepared for us. Then I put Brody to bed around 6:30pm and then played with Graham for about an hour before reading him 2 books at bedtime. Then, we adults get a few minutes of relaxation to ourselves before the gang wake up tomorrow rearing to go again with an incredible amount of energy that I so wish I had. I have a busy schedule tomorrow as I am scheduled to play Men’s Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles. I play Men’s Doubles 2nd match after 12 on Court 2 against Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman. Then in the 4th match on that same court, I will square off against a familiar rival in Mixed Doubles, Daniel Nestor, and his partner, Elena Vesnina. I am hoping for a quick and successful day.
To all my fans and especially to my people in the
-Knowlzee
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Day Eight: June 29, 2009
We were scheduled to play 2nd match after 12 on Court 14 against Prakash Armitraj and Aisam Quereshi. We won in a tough four set match 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, 6-0. It was a great atmosphere out there and quite a privilege to play at
There was play under the roof on center court for the first time ever. It was closed to allow the match between Amelie Mauresmo and Dinara Safina to finish. Then it stayed closed for the match of the day between Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka. It was an epic match, which
It was almost surreal to see play on the center court under a roof. Secondly, the match went until about 10:30pm, well after the sun had gone down, to create the very first match played at night at
After my match, Dawn and I were invited to a BBQ at Mardy & Stace Fish's place. We had a great time over there with James Blake and his coaches as well as Mardy's new house guest, Sergio Garcia. Being a big golf fan, it was cool to hang out and hear him tell us some great stories that happen on their tour. Then it was off to bed.
-Knowlzee
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Day Seven = Middle Sunday = No Play At Wimbledon: June 28th, 2009
Hi everyone,
I won my mixed on Saturday with Anna-Lena Groenefeld against James Cerratani and Sybille Bammer 7-6, 6-3. Anna is very nice and is also a great player. We played together for the first time at the French Open last month and made it to the semi-finals. We finished quite late so I had a quick shower and stretch after the match and then grabbed a little dinner in the village at Pizza Express with my wife and friends. Afterwards, we went to a local pub to see the
Sunday is the most relaxed day at
After departing from the grounds, myself, Dawn, and my two friends went to
Photos Courtesy of http://mardytennis.com/
Then it was in a cab back to the village. I was in bed early at about 10pm, gearing up for my match tomorrow against Prakash Amritraj and Aisam Quereshi. We play second match after 12 on court 14. It is forecasted to be another bright, sunny, HOT day at
-Knowlzee
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Day Five: June 26th, 2009
It was another beautiful day at
We won our second round match against Philip Petzschner and Alexander Peya 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 6-3. We played a very good match and were happy to win as they had beaten us last year here at
It’s so much fun to play in front of such a big crowd. They not only love their tennis over here but they are incredibly knowledgeable about the game. I also had plenty of support from my friends and family and had quite a few people from
After the match, I did the usual gym routine which consists of a bike ride and some exercises for strength and balance. Then I stretch and have a massage for recovery. After I finished my warm down, I had the pleasure of going to the player’s restaurant and had lunch with my entire family, which included my wife, Dawn, our kids, my mother, my step-father and my mother-in-law. It makes it so much easier for me to have my family with me on the road. I feel like I don't want to miss a day of my kids growing up!
Tonight, Dawn and I actually had dinner alone in the
Dawn and I had an opportunity to go see Dave Mathews play tonight at O2 arena but the schedule still has not come out and it's so late. That is the hardest part about our job - we never know the schedule until about 8pm the night before. It’s currently 9:45pm and they still don't have a schedule out. I guess we will have to settle for listening to DMB on my IPod!
Thanks for all of your support and I look forward to bringing you more good news from
-Knowlzee
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Day Three: June 24th, 2009
Hello Everyone. We had our first round doubles match today. We won against Kevin Anderson and Somdev Devaarman in a very close match 6-7 6-4 7-5 7-5. Its always nice to get a win at
There is always a little extra excitement when you are on the schedule. We got over to the courts around 9:45am. I stretch and make sure the body is ready. Then Mahesh and I warm up for about 30 minutes at 10. We had a great warmup - pretty relaxed. Then we head back to the locker room, where we get a quick snack and then take a shower and then do so some final preparations for our 12 noon match. It is always a little tricky with food when you start at noon. You want to make sure that you have some fuel in your system and also lots of snacks on the court in case you get stuck in a long battle. We play 3 out of 5 sets here at
We played on Court 17 and had a great crowd out there watching. I had plenty of support as a big contingent of my friends and family were there. I also saw someone in the crowd with a large Bahamian flag which really makes me feel energized. Being the only person from the
Our match lasted for about 3.5 hours. We don't usually play matches that are so long because we play a much shorter scoring system on the ATP World Tour. Therefore, we have put a lot of time into training and preparation for the increased demands. Equally important is your recovery after matches. After the match, I went to the gym to have a brief bike ride and a good thorough stretch. Then I grabbed a quick bite to eat to try to replace the energy that I had just exhausted on the court for the last four hours. After that, I went and got a massage which helps to flush out all of the lactic acid out of your legs.
Then comes the best part of the day – it’s when I get to come home to be with my wife and kids. It is so great to be able to go do my work and then come home to see my family. So many times, we are on the road without our families, that it’s so wonderful when I can have my family with me. My son, Graham, tells me about his day and about all of the things he did today in the crèche. A crèche is what they call a daycare over here in
Well everyone I hope you have enjoyed the blog so far. I have Thursday off and will just have a light practice. Thursday is my mother's birthday so we are gonna try to spend some time with her and then have a little birthday celebration in the evening at a restaurant in the village. Please join me in wishing her the happiest of all birthdays. Happy Birthday Mom!
-Knowlzee
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Day One: June 22nd, 2009
Hi everyone! I thought that I would write a blog to let you know how exciting it is to be at again. It is such a special place and it never gets old. It is so steeped in tradition that it really stands out from any of the other Slams. You can just feel the buzz in the air as play gets underway. There is a lot of renewed excitement this year due in part to the roof enclosure that sits above center court and also the possibility of Roger breaking the great Pete Sampras Grand Slam record. It is such a shame that Rafa is not here to defend his title as he was a deserving champion last year and it would have been special for him to open the Championships on Center Court as is the tradition here..
I am playing in the men’s doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi. We are seeded 4th and have drawn Kevin Anderson & Somdev Devaarman in the first round. We’re really excited to play and feel really good about our games heading into our first match. We had a few grass court matches in Eastbourne last week and have put in some quality practices here at
I have my entire family over here with me - my wife, Dawn and her Mom, Gay, our son Graham, 3, and our other son Brody who just celebrated his 1st birthday on Saturday. My mom, Vicky here and my stepdad Peter are also here. We all had a great birthday party for Brody on Saturday with cupcakes, candles and presents. Graham loves birthdays so much because he knows that he will get to have cake!
We have rented a house in
We are off Tuesday and will likely play our first round match on Wednesday. Send good thoughts for Mahesh and I as we embark on a great journey at
PS: I forgot to tell you how great the strawberries and cream are here. I have to try to show a lot of discipline not to eat too may of those.....
-Mark – “Knowlzee”
