So frustrating getting to the end of the games when the lights automatically go out. Especially when it's close game. It gets registered as a draw and it's not very satisfying

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

A close game but the lights went out at the end because we ran out of time. A draw but I think I was on the losing side of the fence


Hi and welcome to Double Fault. My name is Andrew and I'm on a journey to compete in the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland in November 2024. And this is my journey, I guess. So those games are now 456 days away, which is still a bit of time to go, but I'm finding that my level of improvement in playing tennis is slowed down a little bit, I think. I don't think I'm plateauing. I just think I'm maybe I'm consolidating my skills a little bit. I read somewhere that when you learn a new skill, be it golf or tennis or any other skill, you tend to go up in like a saw pattern. You know, there's a climb where you gain some skills and then you stop gaining skills for a while. I think internally you consolidate a bit and then, you know, you can even go down a little bit in your ability to do whatever sport you're doing. But then after a while it starts climbing again, like as if the consolidation phase is over and it's time to learn something new. I think internally that's kind of the way it works and it seems to be the way it works for me. So I think I'm actually over that phase and I think I'm actually starting to improve again. I watched an episode of Break Point this week and I think it was the one with Berrettini in it, and that's If You Don't Know, it's a documentary on the journey of some of these tennis players who don't quite make it to a slam.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

Hi and welcome to Double Fault. My name is Andrew and I'm on a journey to compete at the Pan Pacific Masters Games in November of 2024. That's 466 days away. Now that time is ticking away so quickly, I cannot believe it. I've had a two week break from publishing any podcasts because there's always a break during the school holidays for competition, for group classes, for a lot of things. So I haven't really had much to say. I haven't been lax, though. I have actually been out there practicing my serves. I've been hitting the balls against the walls. I've got a couple of hitting partners I've been playing with and I've been working on getting back into running. And finally, I can say that my injured Achilles is well, it's like at 95%. I can now run a couple of kilometers without any pain. I can do a 6 or 7 kilometer bush walk without any problems. So I can I can honestly say that I think in another month or two it will be back to normal and I'll be able to go out for a decent amount of running and do some more fitness exercises in the way of short sprints and the like to try and get my fitness up to a point where I'll be able to keep up with some of my younger competitors in the matches that I play now. The first the first match of the new semester is coming up. I'll be playing against a woman who I have played before.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

I'm wearing bright new head tennis shoes this week. The old ones were getting manky and smelled bad and were starting to fall apart inside. One loss and one win for the week. Fairly satisfying I would say.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

Playing players I can't beat. Feeling my 63 years sometimes, all my opponents look less that half my age. Still you want to play when you're older, then play like you're younger.

Played on the shortest day of the year this week, in the bottom of the pit of darkness, time to climb out.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

It's been a holiday week for me so not much tennis. I did play one competition game against a player that hits soft and often long high balls, all things that I have trouble coping with. I won the game but there's definitely room for improvement. On the plus side, a former coach of mine watched me play today and told me my serve is way better than it used to be and has come a long way.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

I have tennis elbow and it's not such a bad thing, it might even be helping my game. I great week of tennis and some awesome hitting partner sessions but now it's time for a holiday and some time in the sun.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024

Tennis is a joy and a frustration. So many  games are going to a tie break lately and my elbow has all the classic symptoms of tennis elbow, not fun.
I'll battle through though, I think It's actually helping my swing in a weird way. The only way it doesn't sting is if I swing looser and fuller which makes for a much better delivery.

Doublefault a journey to the Pan Pacific Masters games 2024