Thomas Shubert, Shotgun 21, Roger Federer

Written by: Staff on 24th July 2011

Thomas Shubert, Shotgun 21, Roger Federer

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Juergen Melzer of Austria during their quarter final match at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, 15 April 2011. EPA/CHRISTOPHE KARABA |

Bio

Thomas Shubert, originally from Honolulu, HI. Based in Orange County, CA Recent graduate from NCAA div. 1 BYU, #1 singles and doubles positions. Seeking first ATP points and working my way to becoming a professional.

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Today’s entry is about pressure and the excitement of playing in the Shotgun 21 tournament July 24th at Pacific Palisades Park.

I’ve been lucky enough to receive a wild card into the main draw of the Shotgun 21 event and am looking forward to competing to the best of my abilities. Because of the format of the Shotgun 21 event is literally a baseline game, first to 21 points, the format leaves me feeling a little jittery concerning what type of competition I may face.

Past champions include former top 100 ATP pros!! Pressure begins to build upon expectations to perform in the tournament environment, anxiety over who I may face first round, or how many hundreds of fans may be spectating. However, this phenomena happens to everybody, including the pros. Well, maybe not Mr. Federer. . . But let’s take a look at how he might handle his nerves and the surrounding pressures he faces while out on the ATP tour. We all know he’s cool, calm, collected. This means that despite whatever distractions he faces (sponsors, spectators, record-breaking feats), he manages to stay “within himself” and execute his shots. His feet are light, his legs maneuver him around the court with swift and strong motions. He maintains his focus on his game and what he does best, rather than his opponent or the distractions. He never rushes or gets impatient during the big moments of a match. Paying strict attention to his personal details on court, he maintains a “routine” to his matches which, allows him to settle into his comfort zone.

With a little luck, some guile, and good old fashion hustle, I hope to emulate Mr. Federer tomorrow at my tournament and come through with some solid victories!