Future Fed Cupper Diary: CoCo Vandeweghe
Day 5: Feb. 8, 2009
Hi Everyone,
Today started off rainy, but the sun came out, and so did the Americans!
Jill played first and lost to Gisela Dulko, 6-1, 6-3, but gave it a good fight. We then needed to win the second match to stay alive in the tie, and Melanie took to the court against Betina Jozami. We got nervous when Mel lost the first set, but she turned it around and won the next two in a battle, making the final score, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. She played great tennis, and the crowd really got behind our team.
With the matches now at two apiece, the tie would be decided by the doubles. Liezel and Julie came out firing, and we were doing our job, cheering as loud as we could on the sideline. The match was close the entire time, but the U.S. won, 6-2, 6-3! We were all so excited and ran on the court to do a victory lap with the flag.
We had such a great experience this week and bonded as a team, so we were happy to finish it off with the victory. The U.S. will now play the Czech Republic in the next round of Fed Cup play, but right now we are going to celebrate this weekend's effort, especially against the Argentines, who proved to be tough opponents.
As for me, I was supposed to go to Midland, Mich., this week for a tournament, but I got strep throat, so I am going back home to LA tonight. I will rest up and look forward to preparing for my upcoming competitions.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences in Surprise this week. It is a week I will never forget, and I look forward to being on the Fed Cup team again in the future! Go USA!!!
Julia
Day 4: Feb. 7, 2009
Hi Again,
Today was our first day of matches. We drove to the courts and played our pump-up CD that CoCo and I burned. The team loved it, and by the time we reached the courts, everyone was fired up!
The girls warmed up, and my job was to ensure that everyone had what they needed before the match, whether it was getting a certain flavor of Gatorade or finding practice balls.
After the opening ceremony, Jill took to the court against Argentina's Betina Jozami. Before the first point, we were on our feet cheering and getting her pumped up. It must have worked, because she played really solid tennis and outlasted Jozami for a 6-2 6-1 victory. We congratulated Jill and then went to get Melanie ready for her match.
After a short break, she played Gisela Dulko. They both played some great tennis, and Dulko won 6-2 7-5. We were so proud of Melanie for how well she played and her fight. There was a real sense of American pride in the atmosphere around center court, and that definitely helped us today. We had great support from the crowd, and our team cheered so loudly that my throat is a bit sore now.
We had a light practice in the afternoon and then headed back to the hotel. At dinner we played movie charades, and my team won tonight! We played last night too and lost, so we were happy to get revenge. The toughest one we came up with was "Prizzi's Honor," and it was fun to see Jill try and act that one out!
I am looking forward to tomorrow, and we are ready to go. There will be two singles matches and one doubles match. USA! USA! USA!
Day 2: Feb. 5, 2009
Hi Again,
First off, I have to start by apologizing to Liezel, who pointed out that I spelled her name wrong in my first blog.
Now let me tell you about my day. This morning CoCo and I went to the courts before the rest of the team to get some extra practice in. We had a good training session with Mary Joe, Ola and Adam. The other girls arrived, and we finished up with them. Over lunch, I played cards with Melanie and tried a game I hadn't played before, and Mel beat me up. We will have to have a rematch tomorrow!
In the afternoon, I played some points with Julie but had to stop a little early to get treatment from the trainer. It is really nice to have a WTA trainer on the team who can always treat us, and Joanna is taking great care of us! After practice Mary Joe treated CoCo and me to a trip to In-N-Out Burger. I was born and raised in California, so In-N-Out is, of course, my favorite, and our detour made my day!
Tonight was the official Fed Cup dinner, and our team dressed up in matching outfits. Before the dinner, CoCo and I mingled with some of the guests and met some people we knew from running junior tournaments years ago, which was fun. At the dinner, representatives from the United States and Argentina spoke, along with members of both teams. It was a fun evening in a more formal atmosphere.
I think both countries are really looking forward to this weekend, and so am I. We have been working hard and having a great time in this team environment, so we are all ready to go!
Go USA!!
Day 1: Feb. 4, 2009
Hi!
My name is Julia Boserup, and I will be writing a blog this week from Fed Cup in Surprise, Ariz. I was a future Fed Cupper last year in La Jolla and had a great experience, so I was very excited when Mary Joe asked if I wanted to come to Surprise as part of the team in our tie against Argentina. I love Fed Cup because it is a unique environment where all the players come together as a team and support one another, which is rare in our typically individual sport.
I arrived in Arizona yesterday along with the rest of the team, and it was great to see everyone. CoCo, Melanie and I went for a run around the hotel grounds to get a feel for where we are staying, and then we went to bed early. Today was our first day of practice, and we were eager to start off our week of training. We began with a team meeting, and Mary Joe told us that Bethanie Mattek is injured, so she won't be able to play this week. Fortunately, Julie Ditty is available, and we are all excited for her to come tonight to join us on the team.
In our morning practice, I drilled with Liezel and CoCo. I had to get my racquets strung a pound tighter to adjust to the altitude here, and that seemed to take care of the flying shots I had at the beginning of practice. Our drills consisted of a lot of 2-on-1's and some doubles simulation to get Liezel ready for doubles this weekend. We had lunch at the courts, followed by another solid practice session in the afternoon. We played some singles and doubles, and I got to hit on the stadium court, which was fun. Tonight, we had a casual dinner in the team room, and now we are relaxing in our hotel room. I am staying with CoCo, and she goes to bed early, so I think we will make good roommates this week!
Until tomorrow,
Julia
Future Fed Cupper Diary: CoCo Vandeweghe