THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE!
The mental aspect of sports competition often becomes more than relevant. Positivity becomes crucial, even when we are losing. Roger Federer told us that “the best in the world are not the best because they win every point. It’s because they know they will lose (points) again and again and they’ve learned how to deal with it”.
Today at the Italian Open, Alexander Zverev, ranked #3 in the world, was leading Luciano Darderi 6-1 and 5-3, with 4 match points. Darderi was ranked #18 and was playing well but losing. Since this was the Italian Open in Rome and Darderi was Italian, the fans seemed subdued and maybe somewhat disappointed.
But then, as if by miracle, Darderi won all the match points against him and went on to win the second set. Those who aren’t tennis players or fans, please note – this was highly unusual. At this point, Zverev was disappointed and very likely surprised, but not really in trouble. He was arguably the better player and only had to win the final set to win the match.
However, in the final set, Zverev seemed to become uncertain and unable or unwilling to play confidently. Roger Fererer is known for another piece of advice – to win in tennis “you must take the match”. Roger meant that you must continue to do the things that worked for you and not depend on your opponent to make errors.
Zverev changed his style of play and his opponent didn’t. Darderi won 6-0 in the final set to win the match. Luciano Darderi is shown below on the court and then with his girl friend. He is quite popular in Italy and elsewhere. Today, he achieved his best win ever and he richly deserved the victory. It was especially rewarding that he did this in Rome.
While on the subject of Italian tennis – Jannik Sinner is now ranked #1 in the world and is also Italian. He seems to only have one competitor to worry about. Carlos Alcaraz. I really doubt that Jannik will ever become complacent.
Those of us who have played competitive sports for years will probably recognize the value of “playing to win, not to avoid losing”. We may have experienced both sides of this. I certainly have. I enjoyed being behind and then winning, but was embarrassed by the opposite.
AFFILIATE MARKETING AND AMAZON
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based revenue sharing model where individuals (affiliates) promote another company’s products or services to earn a commission on resulting sales. It is cost-effective for the company sharing links and easily set up by the affiliates.
In my upper menu, see BECOME AN AFFILIATE MARKETER for complete details on this arrangement. It can be easily worked at home with a computer, even without great tech skills. (Trust me, I have very limited tech skills).
Also, the simple design below will show how this works, though no suits or briefcases are needed.
Amazon has been an excellent partner in my affiliate marketing. They simplfy the affiliates’ linking and they have so many products in so many categories that it seems that they can send me things faster than I can shop for them locally.
As of today, Amazon has started a new ultra-affordable shopping experience, featuring items under $20.00. It’s called Amazon Haul. Below, I will show some of the links associated with this, especially those that are sports-related. Each link will show pictures and full information. Take a look.
Kid’s sun visor – $6.99
Compression knee pads – $3.15 (extra large)
Kid’s set of 5 mouth guards – $9.99
Men’s set of 3 polaroid sunglasses – $9.55
Foot roller for plantar fasciitis pain – $7.49
Fitness planner – $8.48
Thermal blankets for campers or hikers, set of 4 – $6.99
Foam practice golf balls, set of 20 – $7.99
Tennis racquet vibration dampeners, set of 6- $7.69
Travel pill organizer – $2.11
Golf indoor practice putting cup – $7.48
Soccer shin pads and socks for kids – $9.99 for set
Compass with mirror for kids’s camping and hiking – $7.99
Yoga mat beach or picnic blanket – $9.99
Women’s sauna t-shirt/sweat vest – $6.68
Resistance bands wit handles for men or women, great workout tools – $9.47
Tennis elbow braces, for tendonitis – $5.97
Clear backpack for men or women – for sports events, concerts, etc. – $9.99
Kids’ soccer goalie gloves – $8.96
Tactical mobile phone pouch – $9.99
Folding pocket knife, suitable for campers – $8.99
Bike covers for 2-3 bikes, adaptable for mountain road electric bikes – $8.99
9″ Pilates ball with air pump – $6.49
Golf ball marker with hat clip – $4.99
Chair yoga for weight loss book for seniors – $3.28
Cooling towels for hot weather – $3.59
Golf ball marking tool, 8 pack – $6.59
16 oz. practice bat weigth for baseball or softball – $7.99
Agility speed ladder – $9.99
Camping cutlery set – $9.99
Sports stopwatch timer – $9.59
FINAL THOUGHTS
Take advantage of “Amazon Haul” price cuts. Look around!
As for Alexander Zverev, he didn’t rise to #3 in the world of tennis by being mediocre. He had an off day today, but I thought this might be a good example of the value of what may be called the “inner game of tennis”, the mental aspect. He will be back to winning in the very near future.
As for Luciano Darderi, he performed incredibly well in front of his Italian fans and may have gained enough confidence to rise much higher in the rankings.
Let’s always play to win!
