Yesterday, I got play in a Pro-Am tennis match with two of the worlds best tennis players. Jimmy Arias and Aaron Krickstein (former # 5 and #6 in the world). I played with Aaron (on the right in the photo). It was so much fun...and so much pressure. There were about 250 people watching, we were being videos and the commentator was the worlds leading tennis coach, Nick Bolletieri. And, to boot....I was the only woman in a mens doubles match.
The pros took it a little easy on us amateurs, when they served, but these guys were so competitive, they weren't really taking it easy after the serves.
I had a few great net rally's, but the nerves really got me at service time. Very hard to serve with hundreds watching, serving against people who have won major titles and played the worlds best. At one point, I double faulted and Jimmy Arias (who is hilarious and a total kidder), said that he was sure something got in my eye and I should take another ball! I did, and managed to get it in.
Aaron and I lost in the tie breaker at the end 7 - 11. What a blast! My coach told me afterwards that after all that pressure, no pressure I feel in a match will ever feel bad again. He said it was great prep for my upcoming team matches....as I'm now on three official USTA teams.
Here's a bit of info on Aaron...of course now he'll have to add me to this list of people he's played against. He beat Ivan Lendl (world #1) in 1990, Michael Stich (world #2 and #4) in 1994 and 1991, Stefan Edberg (world #3) in 1988 and Boris Becker (world #3) in 1992, Mats Wilander (world #4) in 1984, and Jimmy Arias (world #5) in 1984 and Sergi Bruguera (world #5) in 1994. He also amassed wins over Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
His big claim to infamy is that at Wimbledon one year, he played Jimmy Conners and was up two sets to zero, and it was 5-0 in the third set. Seemed like a no brainer....but then he totally lost it, and he ended up losing the match. Yesterday, fortunately, he held up his end of the team!
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