PPA Punta Gorda 4.0 Singles Recap: Silver Medal Takeaways

In this post I want to share my experience playing at the PPA Challenger tournament in Punta Gorda. I learned a lot, as always, and I’m going to break down some of those lessons, along with how I performed throughout the tournament.

We arrived in Punta Gorda on Thursday, which gave us time to check out the facility and get in some pre-tournament reps. The courts were solid, and I got a feel for the environment early. This was also my first tournament using the Perseus 16mm Pro IV paddle, and I loved it. The feel, the control, everything about it felt like an upgrade.

Friday was singles day, and I had to wake up bright and early at 6 am for the 8 am start. Coming from Nicaragua, which follows CST year-round, to Florida, which was two hours ahead on EDT, really messed with me. Waking up each day at 6 am felt like 4 am, and let me tell you, it was rough.

My first match was interesting to say the least. There were several factors that affected how I played. Like they say, the first match in a tournament is always the toughest. Still, I got off to a good start and took a 5-point lead a few minutes in. But then, things started slipping. My opponent, who had been dealing with some pretty serious yips, started to clean it up. The score tightened. To make things worse, the sun came out in full force and the heat ramped up fast. I was wearing a black shirt, which was a terrible choice in hot and humid conditions. I started sweating like crazy.

On top of that, I was using a udrippin overgrip, which just doesn’t work for me. I usually play with tourna, so playing with a less absorbent grip didn't help. Back to the game though, he took the lead and even had match point at 14-12. But I locked in, clutched up, and pulled through. I ended up winning 17-15. That win gave me some serious momentum, and I went on to win all my next games in the round robin pool, which got me into the semis.

In the semis, I was starting to feel the fatigue set in, but luckily, so was my opponent. I managed to beat him 15-10. Then came the gold medal match. That one hurt. I lost 11-2, 11-6. Honestly, I was just drained. My opponent was reading me like a book. He really picked on my forehand volley and controlled the majority of the points. I tried to adjust in the second game by playing more at the kitchen, and that helped for a bit, but he closed it out.

Still, I’m happy with the silver finish at the 4.0 level. Now it’s time to train up and push toward 4.5.

As for doubles, both days were forgettable. Nothing really clicked. And honestly, with mixed, I’m starting to think about throwing in the towel. It’s a tough game, and it requires a completely different strategy than singles or even men’s doubles.

Overall, it was a fun trip and a valuable experience. I’m excited to train for the next level, 4.5 singles. I’ll need to tighten up a lot of things, mostly shots and technique. But mentally, I feel solid. I stayed positive, executed well in most situations, and never once had the yips 💀.

‍