by John Lumley
It was always a dream of mine to play in the World Championship and I was lucky enough to make it into the World Championship Eliminator process for the first time this year. My first round was against Chris Chapman on my home court at The Racquet Club of Philadelphia. We had a great match which I won 5 sets to 2 with incredible support from the RCOP crowd. I then played Nick Howell in the final eliminator, again winning the bid to play on my home court! Again, the crowd and support were amazing as I took that match 7 to 1, with Nick battling until the end. I was pleased with how I handled the nerves on the big stage and in front of the RCOP members while playing such high-caliber opponents.
I felt my preparation had been good, but I wanted to take it to another level for the match against Camden. Training with my personal trainer, working on power and conditioning to get me ready for the physical match that it was going to be was high up on my list. Plenty of hours on the court with the guys in Philly working on game plans and execution was also a crucial part of the preparation. With both feeling great in the lead-up, it was time to head down to DC!
Westwood Country Club was the venue for the World Championship, and what a place to hold the event! The newly built court looks terrific and also plays amazingly. It differs from Philly, with a much faster floor, more severe corners and a lightning-fast penthouse. The ten days of practice were helpful getting used to the world championship balls and the different court. The match balls only come out two days before the match, so the time spent getting used to what you’re going to be playing with is exciting as you’re hoping it will all click into place. It is a long time to be getting ready and hanging out in one place and the match hadn’t even started yet, but it went really well overall working with Steve Virgona and Rob Fahey.
Now that my prep was done, it was time for the match. I had been telling myself all along that if this was to be my only shot, I wanted to play well and enjoy this opportunity each step of the way! Day 1 didn’t go to plan, but the crowd was terrific at cheering me on, and I felt like I was in a good place with my energy and fitness. The occasion didn’t make me nervous; I just didn’t execute on the big points!
Between match days, you get a day off, which I used to watch back the previous day’s play. I then had a practice session on the court, which we used to tweak the game plan from the film we watched earlier. I did lots of stretching and mobility work, hydrating and eating to ensure I was fueled and ready to go the next day. From the film, it was great to see that two of the sets were so close, giving me confidence for day 2!
I came out of the blocks quickly and grabbed some sets to make it a 5-3 deficit. The day’s play was amazing, bringing out some of the best Court Tennis I have ever played. The little tweaks made a difference, and being a part of such an amazing atmosphere was exciting. I’ve watched many World Championships, but being out on the court with such an electric crowd was something I will never forget!
I knew Camden would change things up on day 3, and from the get-go, you could see he would play an aggressive style without giving me an inch. It was an epic 5-all set, which sadly went his way. He brought a more vocal crowd on day three, a positive attitude, and some great shots! Hats off to him on an outstanding performance. I felt that the 9th set was massive for both of us momentum-wise, and he used that to continue and close out the match.
I want to thank Westwood for putting on this event and my team for all their hard work preparing me for this match! All the messages and support were overwhelming, and we have the best community in this sport we all play!
I hope I can one day play in another World Championship as this was one of the best weeks of my life…and I didn’t even win!!
