By Eli Buenaventura
For Variety

Your game is well rounded. You are a smooth operator on the court. Your serve and volley game is an envy of everyone. You can easily exploit a weak return to your advantage. Your ball handling is efficient. At the park, you are a crowd getter because of your technique and pleasant strokes. When your tennis pals hear that you are joining the tournament, they tout you without qualms to win your event. Conversely, this is not happening when you needed it most. Instead, you lost in the first round in as many times to a player that you could have easily beaten in practice. Now you are wondering what is going on with you. The good thing, however, about your case is that you are not alone in your predicament. There are so many strong park players out there who just could not make the grade in handling their first round match. To convert your first round result from a loss to a victory, next time around, here are some “secrets” that I have personally used to cut down my first round losses to half.
1) Acclimatize with the court condition. I realize that not all courts are the same. Many courts are mostly way off my expectations. There are some that have patches and are very close to the fence. Few have uneven areas and face the sun when you serve. Court environment are also different. Some are windy and hot. I see to it that I have this over- all knowledge days prior to my match schedule.
2) Simulate practice matches on tournament condition. Hundred percent of the time, practice matches at the park are without pressure. Win or lose, weekend players don’t give a damn. Come tournament time where every shot matters, their butterflies in the stomach suddenly start flying. The result is an early exit from the event. To simulate tournament pressure, I put some spikes on my practice matches. For instance, the loser in our match will bring new can of balls the following day. I apply this tip from golf: While pounding balls at the driving range, I imagine I am standing at the tee box of hole No. 9 of the Coral Ocean Point Golf course
3) Level emotional scale during the match. The toughest thing about playing tennis is that we are not allowed to be happy or sad during the match. Players’ emotion must be leveled at all time. If I hit an ace, I stay calm and focused on the next shot, particularly if I am ahead at 40-0. The moment my emotional scale tilts, my next shot will either sail over the baseline or land at the net. Before I knew it, the score is already deuce.
4) Think as a tournament player. I like to say that I am a “tournament player” because I only play during the tournament. And I win. Kidding aside, tournament atmospheres are very much different from recreational conditions. Tennis great, Pete Sampras, has lost all his exhibition matches. But during tournament, he is not only formidable, he is unbeatable too. I always think that an actual tournament is different and I condition my mind properly.
5) Prepare to worst conditions. Rain delay is no big deal to recreational matches. When it rains, they start to joke around and listen to community gossips, particularly the seniors, until the court is dry. This is, however, not true to in a tournament. Rain delay is a tough thing to handle. To keep myself into the tournament mode, I sit down under the coconut tree and continue to review my game plans, particularly if I am behind. I replay the shots that hurt my opponents and his shots that bother me as well.
6) Scout future first round opponents. I watch different kind s of club players and make a checklist of those who might be my future first round opponents. I try to study and analyze their games, particularly on how they handle low, flat and spinning balls. If I meet one of them in the first round, at least I will not be totally facing a blank wall.
7). Bring notes to the court. One good thing about club tournaments is that it gives you an opportunity to be your own coach. And therefore, the more you are prepared, the bigger your chance to win your first round match will be. In line with this, I see to it that I bring my notes about my opponents and quick fixing tips in case my game starts to desert me. I get this idea from golf. Professional golfers write their notes on their gloves or on their bag to remind them all the time.
8) Arrive at the tournament site ahead of time. Unless for some reasons beyond my control, I make it a habit of going to the tournament hours before my match starts. The benefit of this early arrival is that it gives me the chance to warm up, the opportunity to embrace the weather condition, and the distinct advantage of conditioning my mind of any court distractions.
9) Prepare early for the tournament. In an important tournament, I don’t take things for granted. I like to prepare one month before the event. My preparations include having physical training, tennis drills, match play, eating correctly and sleeping at least 8 hours a day.
10. Get nervous on first few games. During tournaments, I appear relax on the court. But deep inside I am nervous, particularly during the first four games of the first set. After the butterflies in my stomach settle down, I start playing well. Strangely, when I am not nervous, I lose. I don’t know why.