"Hi Peter, nice that you were there ... .." Paula smiled, then to add "sorry .." I could not place that comment, and she also not actually, I suspect .

On sports center De Kegel Paula had there at the National Championships against Danielle Harmsen left a possibility for further development. Obviously the season is at the end, and she had the week before during the Nationals, also have to go deep in the battle to 18 years, but the pressure then and now was no comparison. In that week I saw the ^1st round match in Hillegom Paula against Kim Borg.

That, I understood. The fight against yourself. Knowing that it must happen, and so "free wheel" you to a carefree 4-0 lead. And then the hitch in the machine. Paula mutters, and no longer plays against Kim but also provides the inner struggle with herself.

I understood that she wanted quickly to the next point but the rest of her body had disappeared. She almost ran to the ball during the dead match moments, there was no balance between ¹ st and ² nd service, there was no longer any rhythm. She played like she had to catch an imaginary train, somewhere was a whistle, and she catched him, something like that.

She balanced on the edge there, but Kim Borg herself was so shocked by the opportunities that she not much later, could dazed go to the net to congratulate Paula. To Paula the relief was on her face after the match and it was the prelude to another good week.

Maybe it's my naivete that I find Dutch championship special, where you have to (learn to) enjoy yourself and not impose yourself with too much pressure.

Here in Amstelveen Paula played a disappointing match, I did not see what I knew she was able to.

The ultimate enjoyment of the game ... maybe that was how "sorry" as intended ...

Peter Bake