Lithuania- The first week
I have now spent a week in Vilnius, the booming capital of Lithuania.
This past week, I've been competing in President's Cup, a $10 000 tournament on the so called future tour. Most players on this level call themselves professional players and are ranked between 300 and 1500 in the world . However, we're far from the easy life and glamour of the players ranked in the top 100 in the world. While the prize money on the ATP-tour, where the top 100 players make $ 6000 for loosing in the first round, has nearly doubled the last 15 years, the prize money on the future tour has remained the same. Most players trying to reach the ATP-tour never even manags to establish themselves on the Future tour and of the fortunate ones that do, only a small fraction will ever break into the top 100 in the world.
Making many by playing $10 000 tournaments is not possible. Only the winner of the tournament will leave the site with more money than he came with.
I haven't played any future tournaments since 2004 when I made two second rounds in tournaments in Denmark and Finland. My efforts then awarded me two ATP-points and a ranking around 1300 in the world. The points disappear after one year, so I entered President's Cup last Friday as an unranked player.
After winning three tough matches in the qualifies agains one American and two players from Belarus, I secured a spot in the main draw. Once there, I beat an Italian in the first round and was guaranteed one ATP-point and a world ranking again. In the second round I faced a very good player from the Netherlands. Somehow after three hours of running and fighting on the clay, I won.
Unfortunately I lost today in the quarterfinals to a Lituanian player, supported by an enthusiastic home crowd on the center court. I played really well and fought harder than ever but I didn't take my chance in the second set when I had a match point. Instead I missed a forehand return wide by less than an inch and my opponent came back and won in three sets. It was very dissapointing especially since winning would have meant at least 4 points and a raning around 1050 in the world. Now I made 2 points and will enter the ranking next week somewhere around 1300.
The next tournament, Vitas Gerulaitis Memorial, starts with qualies already on Saturday which gives me one day of rest. Considering I've played 6 tough matches the last 6 days, my body feels suprisingly fresh. Mentally, playing back to back tournaments is tough but so far my mind feels fresh as well.
I wish I could take some pictures, but my camara along with my wallet and mp3 player got stolen this past Sunday while I was taking a shower at the tennis club. I only turned my back for a minute which proved to be enough for somebody to sneak in and out with most of my valuables. Hopefully the insurance will give me most of the money back, but I will never get the pcitures on the camera back. As if steeling my valuables wasn't enough, the thiefs went straight to the hotel and used to key card from the wallet to open the room to steel some clothes and a back pack despite I called the hotel 30 minutes after wallet got stolen.
Crime here is high and theifs will take any opportunity they'll get. Four years ago when I compeeted in the same tournament here in Vilnius, someone broke into the room by kicking the door open and stole an entire bag of clothes.
I've made up my mind to move to Gothenburg in the fall and Ullevi Tennis Club. They have a hungry group of young players hungry to become real professionals as well as a few players ranked in the top 400 hundred. I'm not sure about what I'll do about school. It would definitely be fun to study at Chalmers but that might have to wait for another year to start with.
Vilnius is a city in a fast transition. Since four years ago, several tall buildings and malls have popped up out of nowhere. The contrasts are great though. I wish I could take a picture of the new buildings rising next to old worn down wooden houses.
In general, people here are nice. The girls are actually very good looking. However, very few of them can speak any English.
People are wating to use to computer. I'll write soon again.
