'FIND A WAY'

 
Competing in European Money Tournaments was an eye opener in many ways but playing for a few dollars can definitely spice things up. The events offered prize money that was not life changing but depending on how far you went into the tournament it could help with expenses. It could pay for fuel and food to another town or city plus pay for a good night out, even more. 
From memory Brett picked up 4,000 French francs at a tournament in which he was the champion, around a thousand Australian dollars as was the currency difference back in 1991. I remember losing my first match in one particular tournament and picked up around 400 francs for it. Part of me felt bad for taking the money, the other part of me was grateful for an extra hundred bucks to help with travel.
One thing I witnessed in Europe was the fight that some players took into each match, as though their life depended on it. Pete once played and beat a 'mature aged' Frenchman who we chatted to before the match. He actually relied on winning a few rounds each tournament for his income he told us. Pete sent him to his next tournament hungry.
I went into many matches with high aspirations and walked off court completely mentally frustrated, particularly after a score of say 6-3, 6-4 to the opposition. Those type of matches were deflating as there was never much in them, a few points here and there decided the outcome. In a nutshell it was just a case of better thinking at the crucial moments by my opponents. All part of the education that tennis offers each player and I told myself to remain positive.
I learned that tennis is a sport that you have to find a way to win, a way to out play your opponent, a sport that requires more brains than shot making ability, a sport that requires a calm head when in crisis. Tennis is a tough sport if you are fragile minded, a fact that was never more evident than when I was playing in Europe, it tested me as a person, not just as a tennis player.
I also learned a valuable lesson in tennis and that is you have to be able to beat the opposition, not rely on them to lose.