R. BERANKIS & L. GRIGELIS vs. C. RUUD & V. DURASOVIC | Davis Cup 2016 Siauliai

Ricardas Berankis & Laurynas Grigelis (Lithuania) vs. Casper Ruud & Viktor Durasovic (Norway) Davis Cup 2016.  Lithuania v. Norway in  Siauliu Arena, Siauliai, Lithuania Hard (I). 5 Mar 2016

A few thoughts from legendary player Andre Agassi

Here are some takeaways from Andre Agassi interview in Harward Business Review magazine:

Q: You had epic match comebacks too. How did you develop that resilience?

It’s about recognizing that regardless of what the score is, the most important point is that next point. If you can get yourself into that state of mind, you just are who you are. People give you more credit for coming back than they do for blowing somebody out, but both require the same skill set. After a blowout, nobody says, “Wow, how strong and focused you are.” But you really are.

Q: How did you learn to manage your emotions when you played?

I don’t know that I did. I’ve seen people use emotion, positive or negative, as a tool, and it works for them. But typically, the more you can remove emotion, the more efficient you’ll be. You can be an inch from winning but still miles away if you allow emotion to interfere with the last step. So you have to accept: the weather, heat, rain, stops and starts, the line calls, whatever your opponent is giving you, however tired or injured you are. There are so many things that can distract you from taking care of business. The only thing you can control is your engagement.

Original source: Life’s Work: An Interview with Andre Agassi by Alison Beard FROM THE OCTOBER 2015 ISSUE