Carl Attends the US Open

Medals

Sunday, May 4th

Hello all,

Painful day.  Hurts to come so close but fall short.  We lost the World doubles title in a third set tie-breaker today. 

It's been a long tournament, and I'm definitely missing home.  I am so blessed to have gotten this far.

Looking forward to seeing everyone this week!

Carl

Saturday, May 3rd

It's 8:30 pm Saturday night and it's been a long day.

It began with my partner and I playing well and winning our doubles semi-final match this morning.

The final was scheduled for 1:30pm.  We started the match and won the first set 6-3.  At 2 all in the second set, the thunder, lightning and rain came, so we waited and waited and waited!  The tournament directors kept thinking things would dry, and we would be able to finish.  Unfortunately, every time the courts were almost dry, it rained again.  Finally, after making us wait for 4 hours, they called it off for the night.

Definitely a little stressful knowing we were 4 games from a World Championship!

Oh well, I guess I'll have to sleep on it.  11:30am Sunday.  I would appreciate all of the prayers and good thoughts you can send us.

Until tomorrow.......

Carl

Venus Williams Practicing Near Our Court

Ballenisles Country Club

Friday, May 2

I'm so pumped up!!!  We won two doubles matches today to advance to the semi-finals tomorrow!

The round of 16 went pretty smoothly, but the quarterfinals got a little hairy in the end.

We were up 6-2 and took a 5-2 lead into the 2nd set.  My partner was serving for the match. In the blink of an eye, they broke our serve and held easily to cut our lead to 5-4.  The momentum had turned in their favor, and they were getting really psyched up.

I have been in these situations many times before, and the challenge is getting over the fact that you were almost off the court and now you happen to be in a dogfight with a team that's on a roll.

My serve...they play an awesome point, and we are down love 15!  I'm thinking to myself...is this really happening?  We gather ourselves, and I keep saying just take it one point at a time.  I take a deep breath and blow out any tension and stress that is building up.  I tell myself I have been here before and the keys are to be decisive and go after it!!  Don't hope they give it to you and make a mistake.  GO AND TAKE IT!!

5 minutes later...We take it!  Now I can relax, and enjoy the truth that we will be playing in the semi-finals tomorrow.  What a great feeling.

Want to give a shout out to my Watt Ahh friends today.  I ran out of my favorite drink, but they sent a friend down from Jupiter Island to bring me more so I'm able to drink the good stuff in the semi's and hopefully the finals too.

Thanks to all of my Hallbrook friends who have followed me all week.  Looking forward to seeing everyone Monday!  Have a great weekend!  I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Carl

Thunderstorms Postpone Matches

Just a short post today...Spent a lot of time at the tournament site this evening waiting for our doubles match.  Unfortunately, too many thunderstorms wiped this evening's action out.  Going back to my place to eat a healthy dinner, then it's off to bed to prepare for 2 matches tomorrow.  The round of 16 will be at 9:00 and the quarterfinals will be at high noon. 

Planning to get up at 6:00am to start hydrating.  Humid conditions expected again and I won't have too much time between matches to drink or eat much. 

Really looking forward to performing well tomorrow.  If we win both matches, we are in the medal round.

Thanks so much for all of the support.  Looking forward to bringing good news tomorrow.

Thanks,

Carl

My partner and I Before our Doubles Match

Wednesday, April 30th

Unfortunately, my singles run came to an end today against the number one player in the world. The match took about 2 hours and 20 minutes and almost every game went to deuce. Much to my dismay, he won more of them!!  The conditions were brutally hot and humid.  We absolutely wore each other out.  It was a good battle, but it always hurts to lose.  You work so hard, and the end is always painful.  That's what I love about competitive tennis though.  You put your ego in the backseat and you go all in...emotionally, mentally and physically.  When you do this, the losses hurt more, but the wins are also sweeter.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

My hope is that the tennis players at Hallbrook Country Club understand how rewarding it is to work on your games and compete.  Always know that it's never too late to get better!  I'm still learning as a player!  That's why this game is one of the greatest games on the planet.  Put yourself on the line.  Don't be afraid to compete.  You will get so much out of the experiences win or lose. Today wasn't my day, but I have had many other unbelievable days.  One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Teddy Roosevelt.  It goes like this...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;  who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Do your kids a favor and get them involved in this great game.  They will learn so many lessons like how to deal with winning and losing, how to problem solve and how to interact socially and competitively with others.  Tennis can teach them about setting goals and working on weaknesses.   Most importantly, they will learn that tennis can be a lifetime of fun.  I want that for your kids and for you as well!  

I appreciate everyone that has followed this blog.  If you have a chance, shoot me an email at cclark@hallbrookcc.org.  I would love to personally thank you for the support.

By the way, the blog's not done.  My partner and I did win our doubles match today, so I am still alive and kicking!!!  Missing everyone.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Carl

Tuesday April 29th

It got a little tougher on the court today.  I won my singles match by the score of 6-1, 6-2 but it took an hour and 45 minutes to finish.  Temperatures were around 90 with 100% humidity.  The conditions were tough, but I played well.  We also started doubles today, and my partner and I beat a good Italian team.

I'm really excited for tomorrow's round of 16 match because I get to play the number 1 player in the world in my age division.  I love these opportunities to match up against the best.  As I was thinking about tomorrow's match, I was reminded of something I read on Watt Ahh 's website. It talks about thunderstorms, and the energy they bring to earth and how Watt Ahh is like a thunderstorm in a bottle.  I like to think of myself as a thunderstorm on the court bringing electricity, power and energy to my matches.  I love that analogy.  Combine that with my love for being an underdog, and I think we might have the combination to make some noise in this tournament.

There's a storm coming tomorrow.  It might hit or miss it's target...but it's coming!!!!

Send the positive vibes my way.  To be continued...

Carl

Florida Sky

 Getting Some Florida Sun

Beautiful Florida Sunset

Watt-Ahh...Stay Hydrated!

Today I won my 2nd round match against a tough Brazilian 6-0, 6-1.  I played really well and pulled out all of the close games.  My focus was on target and I was able to really zone in on treating each point like it was the most important of the match.  I normally have success when I don't give away any free points. 

Hydration is the most important thing for me on match days.  If I'm properly hydrated, it allows me to compete better over longer periods of time.  Many people don't understand what being hydrated for a match means.  Let's just get right down to it.  In order to be able to compete in a 3 hour match in humid conditions, you need to be going to the bathroom about every 10 minutes before you step on the court.  If you get thirsty during your match, you are not properly hydrated.  In order to get hydrated, it's important to minimize things that will work against you like coffee, soda or alcohol.  I still have my coffee in the morning but if I have an early match, I have to get up earlier in order to be able to hydrate successfully after my morning java.

I am not a fan of Gatorade or those fancy colorful sports drinks because they are filled with sugars, artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup that will eventually cause damage to my body in the long run.  My drinks of choice are coconut water and a fantastic product I have been drinking for over a year now.  It's called Watt-Ahh.  Watt-Ahh is basically water that is naturally filled with electrons that fight against oxidative stress and inflammation.  I think it's the best product on the market and I can really feel the difference compared to regular water.  It gives me more energy and I can feel an immediate boost when I drink it.  Players on the ATP Pro Tour are using it now and are seeing results on the court.  Check out the website if you want to learn more.  www.aquanew.com.  There's a good chance you will start to see it in the Hallbrook tennis shop!

Well, I'm planning to do some work this afternoon, have a healthy dinner this evening and possibly watch a movie.  I have had two good days of not having to expend too much energy.  That's a good thing because the intensity level is going to start going up!  Round of 32 is next against a Belgian.  First round of doubles is on tap tomorrow as well.  Thanks for the prayers and support from the heartland!

Talk to you tomorrow,

Carl

Sunday, April 27

Hello all,

I had a good start today in the tournament and beat a good Australian player 6-0, 6-1.

It was really hot and humid so I was glad to finish quickly.  In order to have a chance at making a good run in this tournament, you want to try to avoid having too many long matches. It's essential to have fresh legs later in the week.  Tomorrow I play a very good player from Brazil.  South Americans grow up on clay courts and it's their favorite surface.  I will have my hands full.

The doubles draw will be out tomorrow so beginning on Tuesday, I could possibly play 2 matches a day.  My partner in doubles is a friend of mine, Mario Tabares.  Mario has been a teammate of mine on the US National team that has represented the United States in a team competition in Barcelona, Spain the past 3 years.  He is a great guy and a fantastic player.  In 2011, Mario won the World championships in the 45 age division.  He also won the US Indoor, Clay, Grass and Hard court championships as well!  Pretty good year!  We have played doubles together before, and I think we will be a tough team to beat.

Hope all is well in KC. Talk to you tomorrow,

Carl

Saturday, April 26

Hello all,

It's Saturday and this morning I drove up Interstate 95 to check in and register for the ITF World Senior Championships that is taking place in West Palm Beach, Florida.  I am actually staying 30 minutes south in Delray Beach at the condo of a friend.  It's a bonus for me being able to stay in a place with a kitchen so I can cook my own meals and not have to eat out too much.  My family eats very healthy so with a kitchen, I can prepare my protein and veggie shakes and stay true to my healthy routine.  I am completely convinced that what I eat enhances my performance on the court.

When I checked in, I was pleased to find out that I had been seeded 11th in the singles draw.  Being seeded sometimes helps, but many times it doesn't make a difference at all.  In 2012, I played the World Championships and got all the way to the final unseeded!  Regardless, I have to be ready to play my best because all of these guys are good.

My first round is scheduled for Sunday at 11:30.  I jumped some rope and hit a few balls today to make sure I was feeling good.  The goal for the rest of the day is to take it easy and relax as much as possible. I'm anxious to start playing but it's important to not get too worked up.  The goal before my matches is always the same...to shove all anxiety and nerves to the back of my mind and focus on the task at hand. I have a routine that helps me lock into my ideal performance state.  Instead of Mr. Nice Guy, I try to turn into a warrior that wants to crush anything or anyone in it's path!  Once I'm in this state of mind, winning and losing isn't important because I know I will be able to compete at my very best.  I'm hoping it goes well.  I'll let you know tomorrow! 

Carl