My new domain: www.JCtennis.com

www.JCtennis.com

Finally reserved a short domain name (.com) I wanted - sans hyphenation

Wordpress
I'm also beta testing a Wordpress' blog to see if I like the interface better than Blogger.  My biggest gripe with Blogger is how it handles white space and doesn't properly embed/align images when I compose. I just wish that wordpress did not "nickel and dime" you for every little feature and upgrade.  Maybe I just need a better Blogger theme (suggestions welcomed*).

9/26 Rain all day:
Today is suppose to rain all day, so I have some time to gather some thoughts and finally update this blog!
In the last month, I have been trying to dedicate almost 15-20 hours a week to playing tennis - that's 5-6 days a week at about 3-4 hours a session.  Yes, that's a lot - my body has been feeling it initially, as my regular playing time was normally 1.5-2 hours a session.

Practice Sessions
Lately, I'll go practice with one friend for 1-2 hours and then play a couple sets against someone else; often I need to travel to multiple courts to find the right competition.
I think my goal in the next month or so before it starts getting colder/darker in DC, will be to dedicate at least 1-2 days to physical training. This will be mostly high reps and upper body work, as my legs are so depleted after these long marathon sparing sessions.

I am a perfectionist, so my standards are very high.  If we aren't constantly improving and trying to excel: faster/smarter/better, it's time to think about retirement...

Denis Kudla of Arlington, VA: the next US Tennis star?

Denis Kudla of Arlington - so I saw on Tennis Channel the other day, a show called "Who's Next". He made it to the US Open Boys Championship! Kudla was also in this year's Legg Mason qualifiers, making a great run for just his first year on the pro tour.

The show was about junior rising stars in America who hopefully can help the USA reclaim the top spots in international Tennis. Without Roddick and Blake as the flagships of US Davis Cup, it will be a challenge finding the next prodigies. The main junior featured in the program is a young 18 year old named Denis Kulda, who hails from Arlington, VA.

As a local DC native, he has been able to balance a heavy tennis training program (at the College Park, MD USTA development program, TCCP) while not joining the mass herds at places like Bollettieri. I really respect his family's decision to do that. Arlington has a great education system with which I am intimately familiar and proud to have enrolled. Also Denis has a chance at a normal childhood, which I think former pros like Agassi will tell you, they would trade anything to have back.

I also have the privilege of hitting with his brother Nikita, a senior at UMd and terrific at architecture. We are in the same USTA flex league this season along with our mutual friend Mike.

I have been trying to find better singles players out there to help improve my competitive game without breaking the bank at tournaments around the country - there is actually a Australian Open qualifier's entry tournament up in Rhode Island this weekend but I decided against it, considering I had to work all Fri and Sat.  But that would be one heck of an opt to go down-under with the $3K+ flight covered!