tarted playing tennis at age 6: He was bo

tarted playing tennis at age 6: He was bo

27.12.2019 15:45

Never has Blake Austin felt as nervous as he did before Canberras history-making NRL semi-final win over Penrith on Saturday night.It was his first NRL game in almost a month, having broken his hand at training in the week of their round 25 clash with Manly.The five-eighth had two metal plates and 16 screws inserted, and only last week completed his first full contact session before getting clearance on Friday to play his former club.I was obviously pretty confident my hand was going to hold up, but training is nothing like a game and I was nervous I was going to let the boys down, he said.I was scared. If I went out there and had to come off early from the hand, Id never forgive myself.Austin said even his wife, Gillian, could sense the stress at home.I had some different nerves to what I normally get before a game heading in, he said.But I got through it and really glad I did.Now I can go to Melbourne and have full confidence that I can get through a game through my hand ... without any fear.Austin showed no fear whatsoever in the 22-12 victory at GIO Stadium on Saturday night, scoring the first try of the game with his trademark dummy and step in the 11th minute.By then, the 25-year-old had well and truly overcome the nerves - which he said disappeared after his first tackle.You have your reservations I suppose, but once I could get that out of the way and it held up well, I was pretty confident, he said.(It was) good to get another try and get my running game back.Austin sent a scare in the first half when he rolled his ankle and was limping heavily.But he carried on and is confident that, if he follows the lead of hooker Josh Hodgson who made a miraculous recovery from a similar injury suffered last week, he will be fully fit for next Saturdays grand final qualifier against the Storm at AAMI Park.Youve just got to get on with it, he said.Ill probably take a leaf out of Hodgos book and make sure I really look after it throughout the week.Its certainly not as severe as his, but Ill just look after it. Zack Smith Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Calvin de Haan Jersey . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. https://www.cheapblackhawks.com/947b-jeff-hackett-jersey-blackhawks.html . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Chicago Blackhawks Shirts . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Doug Gilmour Jersey .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. BRADENTON, Fla. -- Miomir Kecmanovic projects the exact confidence you would expect to see from someone who has the potential to become a star in the tennis universe.The No. 1 junior player in the world, Kecmanovic has captured two prestigious tournaments in recent weeks and is set to begin his professional career next month. Everything seems to be pointing toward future success, and the 17-year-old Serbian is ready to accept the challenge.Kecmanovic, along with his management and coaching team, has a methodical plan in mind for the upcoming year. He will begin playing in Futures tournaments in Florida. When he proves himself at that level, he will graduate to ATP Challenger Tour events. He might seek to play in a couple ATP Tour events as a wild card, but there is no desire to cut corners. The goal for 2017 is to achieve steady progress.My goal would be to win a Future, and to get into the top 300, Kecmanovic said in an interview at his IMG Academy training base. That would be the goal. I think thats realistic, and if I play good in the second part of the year, maybe I can go even further than that.IMG coach Jose Lambert agreed that those objectives are attainable and noted that Kecmanovic already boasts skills that compare favorably to the worlds top 100 players. If Kecmanovic remains healthy and plays a full schedule, Lambert sees no reason the Serbian prodigy cant make a leap similar to the one fellow IMG trainee Michael Mmoh enjoyed this year.Hes been chasing Mike, whos now No. 198 in the world and is only a year older, Lambert said. Hes looking at that and where he wants to be a year from now.Kecmanovic is also aware that former No. 1 juniors Alexander Zverev (2013) and Taylor Fritz (2015) rapidly ascended the ATP rankings after turning pro. Zverev climbed to No. 136 in the world by the end of 2014, moved up to No. 83 in 2015 and currently sits at No. 24. Fritz rose as high as No. 53 a few months ago and currently sits at No. 76.Those guys are playing very good, and its tough to do what they did, Kecmanovic said. Everybody has their own path. Ill just worry about next year and try to do my best, play without pressure and see how far I can get.Earlier this month, Kecmanovic captured the title at the Eddie Herr International Junior Championship and won the Orange Bowl Boys 18s singles title for the second year in a row. He lost only one set over the course of 12 matches at those events. Those achievements came on the heels of reaching the quarterfinals at two September futures events in California.To build on those successes, Kecmanovic wants to improve his conditioning and get better at the tactical aspects of the game that are so important against elite opponents, such as reading the opponent, knowing his tendencies and being able to adapt during a match. While Kecmanovic is doing that, his Vienna-based agent, Alexei Nikolaev, will begin weighing endorsement offers with an eye toward establishing his brand in the United States first.ddddddddddddWhat he accomplished this year just shows that he is a great fighter, said Nikolaev. As a personality, I think he is mature enough to cope with any challenge. He is very motivated. He is not afraid of anything.Kecmanovic started playing tennis at age 6: He was bored on a family trip to the Mount Zlatibor resort area in Serbia, so his grandparents took him to the courts. Within a few years, he was winning tournaments and began to dream about becoming a professional someday. He kept playing and kept winning, and Nikolaev eventually discovered him at a 2013 tournament in Moscow. Kecmanovic had strained his neck in practice a few days earlier, and it was questionable as to whether he would be able to compete. No matter, he won the tournament anyway.Months later, right around the time he turned 14, Kecmanovic moved to Florida to train full time at IMG Academy and began instruction with Lambert. While there are obvious challenges to growing up 5,000 miles away from home, he still talks on a daily basis with his parents, Dragutin and Maja, both of whom are surgeons in Belgrade. Kecmanovic entered an English-language school in first grade and speaks it fluently. Hes now one year away from earning his Serbian high school diploma through online classes.I dont think they were too happy about me going so far away at such an early age, said Kecmanovic, who is an only child. But I think they knew that was the best opportunity that I could get to become a good tennis player.Now after three years of working together on the court, Lambert said Kecmanovic has all the tools needed to succeed at the next level. Its just a matter of continuing to improve as he matures physically.I think he loves his tennis, Lambert said. He owns it. He has a lot of great aspirations, great habits, great support. I feel like he really, really wants to do his best.Kecmanovic has gotten to know fellow Belgrade native Novak Djokovic at Grand Slam events in recent years. The 12-time major winner has hit shots a couple times with his younger countryman and offered advice on his game. But Kecmanovics interest in Djokovic goes beyond their shared hometown.I love how he plays, Kecmanovic said. I like his style. I admire his mental toughness -- that when everything is against him, he can always find that extra bit of energy to win and prove hes the best.The future is wide open for Kecmanovic, but his success to this point doesnt appear to have gone to his head. When asked where he might want to live if he becomes a top player someday, he was cautious not to get ahead of himself.Ill just stay focused until I get there, said Kecmanovic, who will remain based in Florida for the foreseeable future. Then we can pick where Im going to live. ' ' '


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