UEL Men’s Tennis 1st’s Championship winner Patrick Eichler, told Rukeme Casey about the team’s professional approach that earned them the BUCS title.
“Being a consistent performer and having a certain air of complacency should never exist if you want to be a serious competitor and successful in tennis,” said Patrick.
The word ‘complacency’ can be a problem in sport, affecting the mentality of a player in a negative way. But it is state of mind that appears to be something that never entered Aschler’s thinking.
Speaking about players who go into matches thinking they have already won a match before a ball has been hit, Eichler said: “Maybe [some] have the advantage due to the fact they have won many championships and they feel they are untouchable. [But] nobody is untouchable; you should never underestimate any opponent in the game of tennis simply because things can change very fast in this sport.
“You have seen it many times were a player takes up this systematic approach against an underdog, and most of the time this approach bites them in the back and they falter unexpectedly”.
Collective
Eichler added about ‘not thinking you are far superior to your opponent, but not thinking you are an underdog either’. And he backed his theories with clear evidence of what he and his team had achieved collectively this season.
The main factors to his team’s success was to avoid complacency at all costs and believe in their ability to perform against any team. Their displays were an inspiration to many people. It was a thrill to see the home team outplay their opponents. The stroke play was truly spectacular, with excellent backhands, lobs, and shorthands.
It seemed at times as if UEL were just warming up for the cup final they are were playing in at the weekend. However, with the title claimed from a mathematical stand-point, they earned the right to ease off the pedal.