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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Tiburon has never been a place that I seem to play well at, but have continued to go back every year. It’s one of those weeks on the schedule where, if I want to play the rest of the U.S./Mexico swing, it is my only option to play. I lost to Mitch Krueger in the first round in my first singles match back since US Open qualifying.

After the loss on Monday, I joined in on the tournament-organized boat trip out on the bay on a 98-foot yacht. One of the reasons I do continue to go back is that this is really one of the nicest stops of the year.

I got a couple of days of practice in before flying again to Monterrey, Mexico. It’s my second time here and I got straight off the plane, minus most of my luggage! But, at least I had my rackets to hit some balls late on Thursday evening. I’ve had a good few days of practice and will start singles on Tuesday. I’m also playing doubles with a fellow Aussie, Jarryd Chaplin, which I’m looking forward to.

I’m trying to keep a low profile this week. I skipped the players party last night, in favor of a quiet dinner with a couple of the guys and an early night. I’ll begin the tournament with doubles on Monday night and, hopefully, start on a positive note. I’m excited about this week and hopefully can update you with some good news.