Well, well, well! It was another tough day at the office for me.
And yes my best friend that night was Ray Charles and yes, I munched on Crumbs cupcakes while folding my shirts a week earlier than I would have liked. But after seeing the Mary Poppins musical the next day ( who I absolutely loved as a kid),
I was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! Whoever came up with that word was either really creative or should I say genius!

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a phone call from our captain, asking me if I would like to play in the finals.
Unfortunately he called me the day I was visiting a doctor in Toronto, who said the best way to get rid of that 20% nagging shoulder pain that I have left is if I don't put any impinging overhead pressure on it for the next 3 weeks. Which basically means I can't hit anything over my head.
The good news is that I can start hitting this week without any problems.....bad news is that I can't play the finals without a serve, overhead or a swinging volley. But the least I could do is fly over there and be their practice partner for the week and cheer them on from the stands. Get those horns ready!!

Going to N.Y this weekend before heading out to Russia to attend a couple fashion shows that I have been excited to see the whole summer.

Currently working on my UNDP trip to Gomel. Looks like I'm definitely going after Wimbledon of next year....excited but a bit nervous.

Anyways I know it's just as tough for my fans to handle my losses as it is for me, but let me point something out....

I didn't leave my mom at the age of 7 for nothing.
I didn't spend 6 hours a day practicing in the Florida sun at the age of 9 for nothing.
I didn't spend those extra hours on the back courts with my dad figuring out if I'm going to play right-handed or left-handed for nothing.
I didn't sleep in little cods for 3 years eating oatmeal out of a packet, while playing ITF's in the middle of nowhere for nothing.
And I certainly didn't sit at the kitchen table, way past dinner, perfecting Russian essays and math equations until they met my mother's standards, for nothing.

All this has helped me build character and there's no greater asset than being able to stand up for yourself.
No matter how many losses I will have in my career, I will always know what has brought me to this point.....and that's hard work.
I know that I have become a well known name around the world, therefore my losses are a bigger deal than my wins but don't forget that everyone makes mistakes and everyone has their down moments....this is not the first time and realistically won't be the last.
Looking forward to getting myself up there again.

Maria