Tennis Acumen at the Columbus Fall Challenger 2022. And we are here with Rinky Hijikata, from Australia.
(photo credit: Adelaide Now)
Tennis Acumen: Rinky, players tell me that the crowd support at college tennis is incredible and the stands are almost empty when you come into Futures and Challengers, right? .
Rinky Hijikata: Yes, that's definitely tough to adjust to, you know? Yes, it's easy to get up for a college match because you've got hundreds of people there cheering you on or even harassing you a little bit. So, either way, it's, it's quite easy to get up for a college match. I feel like it's always high pressure. It always means a lot. You want to represent your college well. You don't want to let your teammates down. When you come out here, especially in lower levels, it's not always easy to get yourself up for a match when there's two people in the crowd But I guess everyone's got to earn their stripes and once you get to higher levels there are the crowds and great atmospheres and that's where I want to get to, hopefully.
Tennis Acumen: Absolutely. Now, do crowds affect you or do you just block it out?
Rinky Hijikata: I play better with bigger crowds. I think that's always the way I've been wired. I love the bigger moments. I love the pressure situations. It's always been like that ever since I was a kid. You know, the more people that were there, the bigger the crowd, the bigger the moment, the more I enjoy it, the more I want to play. And, usually, the better I perform. So hopefully I can get there and play great tournaments week in and week out.
(This exclusive interview has generated seven ‘quick read’ excerpts, to be posted at tennisacumen.com over time.)
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