I played this match during Week 2 on last Saturday morning. I was really looking forward to this match as I played Gustavo who beat me last season in the final week of regular play. He has a nice forehand and hits it low and hard over the net. This time though I was ready for this shot...

The first set my serve was not too good. I was getting warmed up and seemed tentative when hitting it. Gustavo took advantage of this and it was really what lost my first set. 3-6.

Second set I was determined to win. I started serving much harder and it made all the difference. I began winning my service games more easily and this seemed to frustrate Gustavo. Another thing I focused on was hitting it deep with lots of top spin. This was a tip from my friend Derek. The ball would bounce high and kept him from hitting his hard forehand back to me.

I love playing him, we are really very evenly matched. This time I came out on top 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.