Tennis Channel producer Brandon Moglen is chronicling his journey as he prepares for Tennis Channel Open's Shotgun 21 Pre-Qualifying Event. To find out more information on Tennis Channel Open's Shotgun 21 event click here.

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It's Over. Quickly. (February 29 - 5:45pm)

I lost to a 15 year old girl.  

In 1957 my dad lost in the first round of the US Open.  In 2008, his son lost in the first round of pre-qualifying of the Tennis Channel Open to a 15 year old girl.  I know it's not a fair comparison -- he was 21 and I'm 36.  He was playing in the main draw of of a Grand Slam, I was playing a game of 21 in pre-qualifying for a Tier 1 ATP tournament.  He was really good, I'm, it turns out, pretty average.

Nonetheless I really thought I had it in me to have a stronger showing.

Much respect for my opponent -- this was no ordinary 15 year old girl.  Her name is Barbara Bonic -- she's a Serbian prodigy who is living in Florida and training full time at a tennis academy.  She's an Ana Ivanovic look-a-like -- at 6' tall she moved pretty well and had a crushing backhand.   She went on to win her next round match before losing in the round of 16 to a division 1 tennis player.  So, I don't feel too bad losing to her.  But as for  the way I lost ... I gotta admit that stings.

It got to 18-18, and I played three of the tightest points of my life.  I didn't make an error, but I couldn't have hit the ball shorter or softer if I tried.  As a junior, I used to play very conservative and consistent and the really good players would hit me off the court.  Sure enough, 20 years later, I fell right back into those old habits on big points.   I'd pat it safely into the middle of the court, and she'd run me side to side until she got an opening.   Game, set, match Serbia. Just like that,  I lost to a girl whose fingernails were painted orange.

There is a lesson here -- it's important to want to win, but you can't need to win.   While I was out there, I couldn't help but think if this match doesn't go my way, my pro aspirations are done until the next Shotgun 21 tournament -- which could be never.  If Bonic loses, she goes back to the academy and develops a forehand to match that wicked backhand.   My lack of tournament play really came through here -- the true players find their best tennis in a tournament.   Match soft players like me just get too caught up in the moment rather than relax and hit free and easy.  I'll have plenty of time to do that when I'm back in Los Angeles.

There's another lesson though, and that was how fun this process has been.  For a couple weeks, I've been focused on something that was completely out of my reach but that I wanted very badly.  At some level it was doomed from the start, but the process of trying has been a lot of fun.  In Steve Martin's autobiography "Born Standing Up", he wrote something that seems especially appropriate to my feelings on this experience.   I'm butchering it but it went something like:  "I see no harm living in delusion in between my brief moments of actual inspiration."  I love that quote.  And I gotta tell you, it's been a lot of fun trying on the identity of an aspiring pro tennis player for a couple weeks.  So while this desert dream has come to an end, it leaves me kind of excited.  There are all sorts of impossible things to try next.

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You've Got to Visualize (February 28 - 2:00pm)

Inspiration can come in strange places. I found some as I was checking into the Hilton just moments ago. As the bellboy was taking my racket bag, he asked if I was a professional tennis player. My response surprised me -- maybe for only 24 more hours and certainly for the first time in almost 20 years-- my honest answer was "I'm trying to be."

I thought that was pretty bold, but it wasn't bold enough for the bellboy. He tore into me. "Trying to? No, no ... you are, man. If you don't believe you are it ain't gonna happen. You have to know that ball is going by your opponent before you even hit it. You've got to just take what's yours and have that attitude that you are already a pro. You've got to own it. You've got to visualize, son."

I hadn't gotten to my room before the bellboy had dropped a "You got to visualize, son" bomb on me.

And the guy was right. I was so moved by his wisdom I tipped him $5. What's that you say? That's what you're supposed to tip? My bad.

It is an interesting side note that when you go after something big, people tend to rally and get excited by the quest. And as people start to believe in this mission, I believe. I've got to visualize, son. If not for me than for the bellboy.

Not everyone has been so supportive ... before I left Los Angeles I asked my co-worker and Ping Pong adversary, we'll call him "N", what he thought of my chances to make it through the ShotGun 21 Pre-qualification draw. This is his take:

"You're a really good player, Mogs. But this is a pipe dream. You're old. You're built like a toothpick, and you've had injuries. You have a better chance of getting a date with Anna Kournikova."
 
Ouchie.

While Anna isn't on my speed dial, I do still have the number of my coach at U.C. Berkeley, Scott McCain. Scott is a former world top 50 player, and has gone on to be the traveling coach to a plethora of pro players, most recently the promising young American Scoville Jenkins. I asked him to give me an honest assessment of how he thinks I will do in the Shotgun 21 format. Scott hadn't seen my play in years, but he does know me from our days together at U.C. Berkeley.

"Fifty percent of tennis is serve and return. This format eliminates that, and you are very strong from the baseline. Take away a 140 mph serve from a 25 year old kid and all bets are off. I think you're gonna give some players fits. I think you're strengths are you run well, and you probably move more like a 27 or 28 year old,  you're gonna frustrate people, if you can just put enough balls in the court they'll make errors. Now if they're balls are too big, and your defensive shots are crap and land in the middle of the court they're gonna win. It's gonna be that simple."

Not a bad review ... but what about some context? I asked him how he thinks my game would hold up, given there are several players ranked in the top 500 that will be competing in the Shotgun 21.

"He's 500 in the world because he makes too many errors. Top 100 players balance errors and winners. Top 200 are learning to balance their errors with their weapons, and players in the top 300 are deficient in both areas. Taking away the serve and return are huge equalizing factors. My money's on you. $100 on Moglen to make it through!"

Alright, not bad! With the Hilton bellboy and Coach McCain both in my corner, this is feeling more and more realistic. So now I'm off to the Darling Tennis Center to acclimate to the courts and the altitude. I've also got to start putting my game face on. I've got to visualize, son.
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Altitude Determines Your Attitude (February 26 - 10:05am)

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll admit I have a slight advantage over the competition. I did a shoot in Las Vegas this previous weekend and had the good fortune to play a game of 21 against the head pro of the Hilton, Tim Blenkiron. Blenkiron is kind of a legend in Las Vegas - he ran Andre Agassi's hugely successful Team Agassi program for many years, and has had a major role in changing the face of Las Vegas tennis. Five years ago, there were only 3 nationally ranked juniors from Las Vegas. Now there are more than 80. Much of that credit goes to Blenkiron. He's also a great guy -- a fun loving, affable Aussie who absolutely kicked my ass and somehow made it enjoyable. 

Brandon hopes to keep his form in the high altitude of Vegas.

We decided to play games to 21, in the same format as the Shotgun 21 Pre-Qualifying tournament. Serves are fed underhand, and players alternate 5 serves each to the deuce and ad sides until one player reaches 21 points. Tim played #1 for UNLV and is a very good player, but I felt pretty confident as we began the match. About 5 minutes later, after he had won 21-3, I felt a little less confident. But to be fair, while the bastard was definitely better than me, he did have two other major things going for him.

First, he lives and works in the high altitude of Las Vegas. I cannot convey to you what a difference playing at 2,500 feet makes. The balls absolutely sail. Tim instinctually understands how to play when the ball is springing off the strings like a Super Ball. Second, ShotGun 21 requires players to serve underhand. Tim is a teaching pro, and was able to feed these low lasers that were incredibly effective against me. I started feeding these creampuff underhand serves, and Tim was just crushing my feeds. Serving, even when it's just a feed, is still the most important shot in tennis.

The second game to 21 I made adjustments. I developed a feed that couldn't be attacked. I started to get the hang of the altitude. I lost 21-8. Nevertheless, I felt pretty good about the result, given my history with the Aussie. And as we switched sides I was feeling pretty optimistic.

I got off to a good start in the third game, even taking a modest 7-3 lead in the beginning. Tim shook off his bad start and caught me, but this was much more of a battle. In the end he beat me 21-15 in a contest that actually resembled a contest. My shots had found their range, I had sort of figured out the feed and learned how to subtly adapt my strokes for the altitude. I learned you really have to swing through the ball, and finish your stroke. If you take a half swing, the ball sails. If you don't come over the ball completely, it's hitting the fence. Las Vegas is not a place to be timid - there is no room to freeze up on big points. It's counterintuitive, but unless you swing freely and hit through your shots, the ball will just spray on you.

So with five days to go until the tournament, I've got a couple things going for me. I won't be shocked when the altitude turns my feathery light drop shot into a heavy topspin lob. I've developed a feed that won't win me points - but at least won't hurt me either. I'm getting match tough, and comfortable with the non-stop Shotgun 21 format. These are all positive things, and I'm hoping they will negate some of the trifling obstacles I haven't figured out, like the very real chance I'll be playing professional tennis players half my age.

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Shotgun 21 (February 25 - 11:10am)

It was a foregone conclusion that I would be a professional tennis player. My father played in the US Open, and it was only fitting that I would follow in his footsteps and soon pass them on my way to the ATP Tour. But reality quickly set in for me when I left the juniors to play at U.C. Berkeley.

Brandon (pictured above) tried his luck at the doubles paddle tennis tournament in 2007. Hopefully his run in the 2008 Shotgun 21 event produces better results.

I was smart and gritty, but those skills that serve you well as a junior get lost as the players get bigger and tougher. I never developed a huge serve, and I didn't have a big enough shot to end points. My game was never more alive when I played at U.C Berkeley, yet my dreams of being a professional players also died there. I ended up playing in only 2 matches in 3 years. I lost them both.

After graduation I still loved the game, and found ways to play the game 2 or 3 times a week regardless of what stage of life I was in. But as I got further from my childhood glory, the dream of playing pro tennis just disappeared. But the seeds of that childhood dream took root again when I saw there was one last chance to make it as a pro. And that chance took shape in the form of Shotgun 21.

The winner of Tennis Channel's Shotgun 21 tournament gets an automatic slot into the qualifying draw of Tennis Channel Open. My biggest weaknesses now are my serve, my endurance, and my ability to finish points. No small issues. One could argue they are insurmountable issues if you want to be a pro tennis player. But this format plays perfectly to my advantage: There are no serves. Players take turns feeding balls underhand to start points. Games are to 21 points - a typical tennis match is at least 80 points so even a guy like me can go 100 percent for the 21 points of Shotgun 21. Perhaps most importantly, the tournament is in Las Vegas. At an altitude of 2,500 feet, balls fly. It gives my consistent game a little extra pop - so while big hitters see their balls go out, my short balls just become deeper and more effective. It might sound crazy, but I believe.

I recognize the chances of qualifying for qualifying are slim. But the fact remains -- with the creation of the Shotgun 21 my chances of playing in a pro event went from 0 to Something. And I'm holding on to that "Something" with both hands.

I believe. I genuinely believe I could cause a lot of people problems with this format. And for the first time in almost 20 years, the possibility of being a pro player has opened up to me again. Am I dreaming? Maybe. Am I chasing a mirage in the Las Vegas desert? Probably. But then again... what else is there to do?