Introducing Myself

Posted on 22:16 - August 31, 2007
Filed Under Blogroll |

 Hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Marin Milan, and I will talk about my beginnings in tennis. I was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1990 and I started to play tennis when I was four. I began to play tennis quite accidentally. During the summer I was watching my cousin, how he played every day. I became very interested in the game, so I started to play only during the summers. When I was seven I started to play in Zagreb three times per week. I was quite good, and I had to start collecting my tournament experience. 

While I was twelve, thirteen and fourteen, I played in only a few ETA tournaments. I wasn’t able to play international tournaments because it was too expensive to travel. I also didn’t have luck with draws, every time I was playing against the first or second seed, so it was quite bad. When I was  fifteen years old, I started with ETA U16 and with a few tournaments I had reached number 22, even though I wasn’t playing so well at that moment. After a few months I wanted to play ITF tournaments. When I started with ITF, it was very hard for me. I used my first wild card well, and I won some points. After that, it only got only worse and worse… I was winning doubles tournaments, but I couldn’t pass a round in singles. 

In February this year, I changed my coach, and I began to work with Ico Humić. We made a lot of progress. We put everything together, and it was just a matter of time until I had a good result. That time came in June this year when I was in Hungary. I felt that moment coming, and I was so calm and self confident. My First tournament was “Neplieget Cup”, and from the first round I started to play amazingly, surely I had never played like that before. I went through the first few rounds quite easily. In the semifinal I lost against Blaž Rola.  

I had two days to prepare everything for the next tournament, the “Epitok Cup”. It wasn’t so easy because I was alone there. Qualifying started and I went through the first two rounds without any problems, and in the last round I had quite a strong match. After 3 hours, I won and I qualified for the main draw. 

The first round I won 6-3 6-0. In the second I had problems again, after losing the first set 6-4, he made a break in first game of the second set. I calmed down and started to play my best. I won the second set 6-3, and third 6-2. 

In the quarterfinals I played against third seeded Bence-Gyula Toth, and it was also an amazing match. Again I lost the first set, and I was losing 3-2 in second, he had a break. I calmed down again, and won that set 6-3. The third set was without break, so we had to play a tie-break. It was so tight, I won one point, he won one point, and I had match point at 6-5 on return. He served a second serve, and I was sure it would be pot. I was wrong, and I lost the next point as well. Than he had match point on 7-6, and I won that point, which was very hard. One more serve, and  second match point for me. I finally beat him 9-7 in the tie-break of the third set.  

In the semifinal I played agianst Vasek Pospisil. He won his quarterfinal 6-1 6-0, so he wasn’t tired like I was. I won the first set 6-3, then I lost the second 6-1, and in the third I was twice down a break. I pulled that out, and we had to play a tie-break. I was 3-0 down in the tie-break, and I won that tie-break 7-5. One more amazing win. It was the day before final so I was quite tired, and I didn’t have a time to rest.  

We started the final without a break until 5-4 for me. I made a break then, and I didn’t lose a game until the end. I won my first ITF final with a 6-4 6-0 victory.  

I played a few more tournaments until this moment. The Last three weeks I haven’t  played because of my shoulder problems. I’m going to Hungary again on Thursday, so I’ll post to you from there.  

Hope it will be good like last time I was there. Wish me luck. 

Regards,

Marin