Susan's Blog

"Hi there,
 
I was meant to have a three week run of tournaments in Turkey, India and Japan. But I've just heard that India has been postponed because of bombs going off in Hyderabad.
 
It's a real shame for the victims, but it means I have to make massive adjustments to my travel plans - and it will incur huge costs. It's not really what I needed at this time.
 
I'd even made special preparations for my first trip to India - including stuffing myself with anti-diarrhoea tablets. But I'm just looking forward to trying to get a few tournaments and a few wins under my belt.
 
I'm also keeping my fingers crossed for a decent run of draws. Recently, I've had some real bad luck.
 
For instance, at the world championships in Kuala Lumpur there were 64 players in the main draw - and I was hoping for someone I would have a real chance against in the first round.
 
Who did I get? China's Zhu Lin, who just happened to go and win the title. Actually, I was due to meet her again in the second round in India - so at least that eased the frustration of the tournament being cancelled.
 
But I feel I have been playing and training well in recent months and all I need is a few wins to get the confidence flowing and get me into the frame of mind when I know I have a chance even against the top ten players.
 
It gets you down when you are always playing the top Chinese players all the time. Winning - and losing - become a habit and I want to get back to producing some wins.
 
With the Olympic selection now just eight months' away - I can hardly believe it has crept up so soon - this is obviously a vital period. The Japan Open is one of the big Super Series tournaments, but then it will be back for a string in Europe.
 
One thing I have to be careful about is not just thinking about Tracey - or constantly checking on her results and her ranking. Ideally, I want to get into the top 16 in the world, make the Olympic Games by right and not have to worry about any British rival.
 
It's going to be hard to make it - but it would be a dream to get into the Olympic team. I love the Commonwealth Games - and getting onto the podium in Melbourne last year was definitely the highlight of my career. It's a feeling I would love to have again.
 
But one step at a time. Turkey, Japan...........let's hope I can just start putting some wins together and start climbing the rankings."

Susan.