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Traveling through the countryside
Posted: Tuesday May 30, 2000 10:51 AM
Currently ranked No. 37 in the world, 22-year-old Kristina Brandi is coming off her best season on the WTA Tour. Brandi captured her first WTA title in 1999, winning the $180,000 Heineken Trophy in the Netherlands. A resident of Tampa, Florida, Brandi is coached by her father, Joe, who played on the ATP Tour. Check out Brandi's diary every other week on CNNSI.com.
May 29, 2000 Since my last diary entry I have done a little traveling! I flew from Rome to Dusseldorf, then from Dusseldorf to Madrid and finally from Madrid to Paris. It's kind of weird, but this is beginning to seem normal! A lot of preparation goes into the weeks and months prior to Roland Garros. "Did I play enough matches? Did I train hard enough?" The French Open is The Big Dance and all the players want to do their best. This is the toughest Grand Slam event due to all the demands the clay puts on your mind and body. It is truly a war of attrition! On clay, all the so-called "winners" have a way of coming back!
One good way to prepare for the French Open is to participate in European Club Tennis. I was chosen to play in the top league in Germany (Bundesleague) for a club in Dusseldorf. Players are recruited from the WTA to represent cities in Germany. The matches are held on weekends in between the WTA events. Obviously, if a player is participating in a final of a tournament, she would be exempt from playing that week in the League. Every weekend there is a battle to see which club comes out on top! It's great fun and a good way to compete in match-play and earn money. It is also a good way to fill in a day or two if you haven't made the final of the week's event. Although we compete to win, the overall atmosphere is more relaxed that a WTA tournament because of the friendliness of team play. I think it's fun to travel to the opponent's cities, but it is obviously more fun when the event is held at my club in Dusseldorf. Hey, that gives me the home-court advantage! I want to point out the wonderful hospitality I was given this year in Germany. Each day we practiced or played and then had dinner with the whole Team, including the sponsors and the team coach. As guests of the host clubs, we all were provided with meals and locker room facilities. I really had fun seeing the city of Duesseldorf, which I had never seen before and ...in how many places do you get a personal tour? The best part about Team Tennis in Germany is the adventure. On the way to the club from the airport, our car was cruising along the Autobahn at 100 MPH and still cars were passing us at higher speeds! Just when I wished we could slow down, we got into a traffic jam and a one-hour standstill. So...I decided to get out of the car and walk around. I went up to some truckers and asked them if they would take my picture against the beautiful scenery. It turned out to be quite entertaining, and I hope they got some good shots. When we finally got to our hotel, (five hours later) I couldn't believe how beautiful it was; on top of a hill in the middle of a forest! I wanted to collapse and enjoy the scenery but...no way! It was time to move on to Hanover to play a match! As you can see, I had a very long two days but it kept me busy and hopefully got me mentally tough for the French Open! -- Kristina
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