Sam Groth and Nicole Gibbs are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional tennis all year long in My Tennis Life. To read more updates from Sam and Nicole, go to tennischannel.com.

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Checking in from Bol! This is my first time visiting Croatia, and so far I have not been disappointed. Bol is on an island just off the coast of the mainland, a short ferry ride from Split. Our hotel has beautiful views of the Adriatic sea to one side, and a beautiful mountain range to the other. As places to play tennis go, this location ranks very highly for me.

Our hotel is also extremely unique and cool this week. There is a dining room dedicated to the players where we are able to swing by for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also a spa where players have access to one of the massage therapists throughout the day. Beyond the player-specific perks, the hotel also boasts 26 tennis courts, a bowling alley, indoor and outdoor salt water pools, and a night club (don’t imagine I’ll see much of the latter this week).

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The courts here play much differently than Roland Garros, with higher bounces and a grittier top layer. Matches here will see a lot of “bad” bounces, so the mindset here will require a bit more patience. I will play Mandy Minella, the defending champion in the first round here.* We have had a competitive head-to-head record, so I know it will be a fiercely contested match. With my short term goal of getting back into the Top 100 in mind, I feel very motivated and am looking forward to getting onto the courts.

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* Gibbs would fall in her opener to Minella, 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday.