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Tennis is the ultimate mind game - two players can be neck-and-neck until the first set tiebreaker - yet whoever wins
it will most often run out an easy second set, 6-1! You see this score so often in the pro game, and I'm sure you see it in
your own tournaments too.
So what's the different between the two players after the first set? Purely mental attitude. Doubt creeps into one player's
mind (and game) while confidence sweeps through the other - and these thoughts are the difference between almost every winner
and loser.
As soon as doubt creeps into your game, it's basically all over - you must refuse to let doubt enter your mind during
a match. Even small worries and irritations (eg. a bad line call), if dwelled upon, can become a tidal wave of doubt that
renders your game powerless.
This reinforces the fact that matches are decided by a very fine line of confidence, and also doubt. Australian Davis
Cup captain John Fitzgerald said recently "You have no idea how close a player is to losing the match when they have match
point".
Close to losing a match when you have match point?
How can that be?
Well, when you think about it - this is quite true. If you are playing a tough match, and you finally reach your first
match point, it certainly doesn't mean that you are overflowing with confidence, right? (and certainly not on the second,
third, fourth or fifth match point either, for that matter!).
So remember this whenever you are down in a match (or even down match point) - the match is not over. You can still easily
turn an entire match around - even just by winning two or three points in a row, you can change the momentum of a match.
So it makes sense that if your opponent can be close to losing at match point, then the flip-side of this means that
you can actually be close to winning - when you are nowhere near match point!
Basically this tip is designed to illustrate to you that matches are actually decided by your thoughts, not shots - thoughts
of confidence, and thoughts of doubt. If you can manage to keep your thoughts free of doubt, it means that you are giving
yourself the best possible chance to win the match (even from way behind in the third set), and it also allows your opponent
to be the one who experiences the doubt instead.
You might be surprised just how fragile your opponent's confidence-levels truly are - yes, even if they are leading the
match. All it takes is a very slight shift of momentum, and the entire match can swing around the other way. They have no
idea when or if you will stage burst of great tennis, and so this means they will never feel 100% secure until they have shaken
hands and are off the court.
So if you are a player who absolutely refuses to ever give up - regardless of the score, and if you are willing to hang
in there for an eternity - you will be rewarded with a bunch of match victories that you never expected.
With some particular types of opponents, all of their confidence is purely displayed on the outside - and they have very
little confidence on the inside, where it really counts. These are the players who may try and intimidate you with their game
or even their behavior - before the match, during the hitup, and in the early stages of the match.
With players like this, it actually doesn't matter if you cannot get the early break against them - often all you have
to do is stay with them (by continuing to hold serve) and make sure they do not get too far ahead (as these players are often
great front-runners).
If you can manage to do this, and stay with them (score-wise) - finally, when crunch-time arrives (eg. 5 all, or 6 all),
the doubts will most often hit them - and sure enough, these players often crumple like a pack of cards. And when it happens,
it's not pretty - they'll make a bunch of errors, double-faults etc - and as soon as their racquet begins to fly, you know
you have them!
So remind yourself that your attitude is one of your most potent secret weapons, not just your game. Your attitude can
win you a ton of matches that you never expected to win - yes, even against better players who are superior shotmakers. So
keep your confidence strong, refuse to let the doubts in, and watch the victories roll in!
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