Singapore Asian Champs - VIdeo Diaries
Posted 19:07 30 May 2007 in Video Diaries
Finding it tough in Asia.
Losing out in the first
round here in Singapore seeded 5, is a treble more
disappointing than the result in Vietnam. I played a player from the Philippines
and lost 17/21 21/18 18/21, 50 mins on court in a drastic temperature that I
couldn't cope with physically. Drift swirling around in all directions, and my
ability to handle it up in the air somewhere with it. At face value watching the
video after it looks a better performance than last week, but it was 10 times
more painful to lose.
Not conditioned to the environment you hit the wall
earlier, humidity makes getting the shuttle on the floor harder. You have got to
be able to call on confidence in your technical ability to move the shuttle in
the court. The drift is going in different directions on different courts..... I
can't properly describe. Fatigue wise last half of the second set and although
Im 19-13 up, it felt like bang or bust on every rally. Taken that into the third
set and reviewed my body language at the closing end, its just sheer
fatigue
A few videos this time round for
you.....
Nick Kidd caught me for a 3 minute sit down just
after coming off, Im not a happy boy.
1st set - I lost this 17/21
2nd set - I won this 21/18
3rd set - I lost this 21/18
Then a final brief clip where I try poorly (I think
!) to give an idea of the drift around the hall
First two events are over, and an eye-opening smack
in the jaw for me as to where my technical and physical levels need to rise
to sooner rather than later. Training starts tomorrow and Basri the Indonesian
coach that I am working with here in Singapore for the next month has said I
have to climatise asap. We have training and matches all next week in Jakarta
and he's advised that i'm going to find that hotter again. Climatising begin
tomorrow at 12noon on the running track, 40 min run in the midday
heat.