A lot of things happened this week. I had to finish my project. I had to linejudge at the Dutch Open and last but not least I had a propedeuse ceremony.
I told you before my holiday I finished my first year of my study. This is important in the Netherlands because you will get a propedeuse. If you didn’t finish your first year in two years than you should stop with your study.
A few days before the Dutch Open began I heard that I would have a propedeuse ceremony on Thursday 15 October. But I had to linejudge and I had an important appointment on this day. I cancelled my appointment, but I couldn’t cancel Dutch Open of course.
Tuesday 13 October: The big day.. I waited a year for this and I was counting the days untill this day. It was the qualification day so I didn’t expected spectacular things.
We had to linejudge two lines first and I really didn’t like it, because I couldn’t see the “long” line perfect. Luckily, we had 3 linejudges on court in afternoon. I had the next matches:
Oliver Leydon-Davis & Danielle Barry (NZL) – Jim Middelburg & Soraya de Visch Eijbergen (NED)
Ragna Ingolfsdottir (ISL) – Josephine Wentholt (NED)
Hans van Os (NED) – Maxime Moreels (BEL)
Olga Konon (POL) – Iris Tabeling (NED):

Wednesday 14 October: I had some plans today. I had to go to school first, because I had to finish my project. But I had no inspriration and the guys in my projectgroup finished it. Well done, guys! We didn’t have the same timetable so they work to the project when I had lessons and after my lessons I had an appointment with the doctor. The doctor told me bad news. I can’t play badminton for some weeks because I have a muscle tear and I want my driving licence so I have to rest! After I went to the docter, I took the bus to the hall. I saw some matches and I enjoyed them. I recognised some players of the European Junior Championship and some of them suprised me.

Thursday 15 October: The big day again… This time it wasn’t the beginning of the Dutch Open 2009, but this time it was my propedeuse ceremony. I waited a long time for this day and I really deserved it. First, I went to linejudge untill 15.30.  I had some nice matches and some boring matches. It was not really that spectacular what I used to have.
Some friends came around 15.00 o’clock. I saw some matches with them and then I made me ready because my brother picked me up on 16.00 o’clock. My propedeuse ceremony was okay, but I was a little bit dissapointed. They had my propedeuse, but they did forget me. I didn’t expected and I didn’t want to stay anymore so I asked my brother if he could drive me back to the hall, because they expected me there again. I think I’ve never appreciated him this much in one week.
I came back in the hall and I couldn’t concentrate me anymore on court. I was angry on my old school and I felt sorry for my brother because he drove me to the hall while he was hungry. I think I couldn’t concentrate me the whole day.
I wasn’t at my best like last year.
It was funny in my last match. I said four times after each other “OUT” and the last time I said that my voice was a little bit weird. The umpire laughed at me:P.
 I felt me very ill in one of my last matches, my heart was beating very fast. (No I wasn’t thinking about a boy;P) The doctor advised me to stop with linejudging for today.
I had the next matches:
Ginny Severien & Maartje Verheul (NED) – Mariana Agathangelou (ENG) & Jillie Cooper (SCO)
Kristoff Hopp & Johannes Schoettler (GER) – Dennis van Daalen De Jel & Rikkert Suijkerland (NED)
Marcus Ellis & Peter Mills (ENG) - Edwin Ekiring (UGA) & Eli Mambwe (ZAM)
Michael Fuchs & Ingo Kindervater (GER) – Sam Magee & Tony Stephenson (IRL)
After the ceremony:
Danielle Barry & Donna Haliday (NZL) – Gitte Koehler & Carla Nelte (GER)
Petya Nedelcheva (BUL) & Anastasia Russkikh (RUS) – Anna Kobceva & Elena Prus (UKR)

Friday 16 October: My last day as a linejudge. I was too late with signing me up so they had enough people for the weekend. I expected that the quarter finals should be more spectacular than first round. Some matches were very easy, but there were some also tough matches. I had a break for two hours and I wanted to go to home. In the end I decided to stay at the hall because it was worthless to go to home. So I went with someone to the Pasar Malam and we enjoyed ourselves.
It was good that I had a break, because all the tough matches was after the break. I was at my best again today, but I was a little bit nervous before the break. I don’t know what I did in the break, but I couldn’t stop laughing in the matches. Sometimes because there happened some funny things and sometimes because the rally was funny.
After all I saw some nice matches and had a nice day.
I had the next matches:
Michael Fuchs & Ingo Kindervater (GER) – Vitalij Durkin & Alexandr Nikolaenko (RUS)
Petya Nedelcheva (BUL) & Anastasia Russkikh (RUS) – Samantha Barning & Eefje Muskens (NED)
After break:
Chetan Anand (IND) - Kashyap Parupalli (IND)
Chris Adcock & Gabrielle White (ENG) – Marcus Ellis & Heather Olver (ENG)
Vitalij Durkin & Nina Vislova (RUS) – Robin Middleton & Mariana Agathangelou (ENG)

Saturday 17 October: I wasn’t a linejudge anymore, but the Dutch badminton federation gave me two tickets. I went with some good friends, Iris and Matt. I enjoyed the doubles matches today, because they were tough.
But I was really bored. I don’t know why, but I think I prefer linejudging.
A lot of people asked me if it is hard to linejudge. Well it isn’t. Most of the people I know think it’s only focussing to the line. But I could see the match very close and it isn’t (for me) that hard to focus to the line and I’ve a lot of friends all over the world now. It also helps me with being not insecure anymore. I know I changed a lot in two years just because of linejudging!
I talked and watched matches with another good friend of my, Mireille. And had some fun with the umpires and linejudges. I couldn’t sit on just one seat, I just needed to walk around sometimes.
After all I had a good day.

Sunday 18 October: I wanted to go early, but I changed my bag to put my stuff. When I arrived at the busstation I realised I forgot my badge. I couldn’t come in the hall without my badge. Well, I called to home and asked my brother to drive me to the hall. And again I felt sorry for him because he did too much this week. Don’t worry, I will make it good to him as soon as possible.
When I arrived in the hall I felt me very bad, because I wasn’t linejudging today. But I didn’t feel me bad for a long time because one of the linejudges asked me if I wanted to linejudge today. Of course I will :) !
One of the linejudges drove me back at home to pick up my clothes. I had the finals which could be broadcast live at tv. I had the next matches:
Yao Jie (NED) – Judith Meulendijks (NED)
Alexander Nikolaenko & Valeria Sorokina (RUS) - Vitalij Durkin & Nina Vislova (RUS)
Chetan Anand (IND) – Eric Pang (NED)
It wasn’t spectacular as Friday or Saturday, but the rallies were nice. I think that only the Mixed Doubles was tough. I didn’t have any calls in my first match and I had to shout two times “out” in my second match. The first time my voice sounded weird again and the last time I wished that I had the last point. My wish came out and I shouted as hard as I could “OUT!”.
The last match was very tough for me. The public had some doubts if I did a correct call because they could see it on a tv screen. But the umpire said that I did excellent job!

That gave me a good feeling to finish this tournament… up to the next one in Dublin :)

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