Rising sophomore and All-American Irina Falconi has agreed to blog for RamblinWreck.com this summer. She will keep Yellow Jacket fans up-to-date on her training as she prepares for her second season on the Flats.
July 29, 2009
Entry #11
So let’s just start with this quote:
Me: “So, Ashley, (my doubles partner) looks like you didn’t get burned at all, huh?” Ashley: “Are you kidding me!? I’m a lobster! It’s because I didn’t put any ice cream on!”
Alright. So long day today, but all in all, it was a wonderful day.
The day started off at like 8 in the morning when Ashley and I struggled to get out of our really, REALLY, comfy beds. After getting our stuff together, we headed to breakfast for some hard boiled eggs and…doughnuts? Thanks for the continental breakfast, Comfort Inn. (Don’t worry Coach, we didn’t eat the doughnuts)
So we headed to the Stoney Creek Inn with Kathy, to pick up Maria and Yasmin (and two little fruit cups I requested) to head to the courts. After a quick stop at Starbucks, we got to the courts.
**So last night, after about an hour of searching, Ashley couldn’t find anyone to warm up with. So, near the end of the night, she looks at me with a very very large smile—I agreed to warm her up.***
So after our warm up this morning, I just sat and watched some tennis, till my second warm up of the day with Yasmin. Coincidentally enough, Ashley and Maria had to play each other in the first round. Not too much fun for everybody.
After the second warm up, I sat around—again. Finally, at like 2 o’clock, I went on court with Svetlana Krivincheva to play our first round. The first set started off a little slow for me, but I finally got myself together at 3-2, and after that, she didn’t win another game.
After that match, I sat around—again for the third time of the day till Ashley and I played doubles against Courtney Dolehide and Mami Inoue. Just like singles, it took us a little time before we finally got our groove together. During our match, there was an exhibition right behind our court, and the local news crew was broadcasting the Pro-Am and the most important question he had for the people was: “So, is it going to rain tonight?” After that little mid-match laugh, we got it going and took care of business.
After our 6-4, 6-2 win, the crew surprised me with dinner at Olive Garden (my second favorite place ever). After some delicious chicken scampi with endless salad, we headed to Coldstone for some ice cream and—hard marshmallows? (Ashley and Kathy got Cake Batter with some marshmallows, but they ended up being—rock hard marshmallows. Goodbye molars!)
Thanks to Maria, who forgot her credit card in Olive Garden, we headed back there to pick it up, and then headed to Best Buy for Kathy to get her long awaited Netbook that I had happily sales pitched for her. After going in and out, we headed home. I took a long shower, watched some ESPN, and then was ready for sleep after a long day.
Follow Irina Falconi at The Heartland Clinic USTA Women’s Classic – St. Joseph, Mo.
Oh, and just for the record, we still have not figured out how to put five racket bags in the back of a Pontiac G6—four times in a row.
