Continuing in the Australian summer of Tennis, Greg did not make the cut for the Qualifying of a very strong tournament line-up in the ATP 250 MedibanK International at Homebush, Sydney... but was granted a wild card entry to compete in the qualifying of his home-town event.
The draw Gods saw Greg line up against the No. 8 seed, 28 year-old Taylor Dent, currently ranked 83 on the ATP world ranking. Dent, whose father Phil played Davis Cup for Australia, boasts a ranking high of 21 in 2005, but had been sidelined on and off for three years with a back injury. Now fully recovered, BIG serving Dent has been on a ranking rise for the last year.
On a very hot and humid day, Dent served first and, courtesy of two double faults Greg had him at 0-40 in the first game. Some big serving saved Dent and Greg was not able to convert. Some excellent play saw Greg keep pace with Dent and hold serve for games to go to 2-2. Greg then capitalised on some poor serving and pressurised Dent with some good returning, forcing break-point and then converting to go 3-2 up. Greg then held his own service games to get to 5-3 up, serving for the set. Two good serves saw Greg go to 30-0 up but a netted back-hand by Greg saw Dent back into the game. Dent made some great returns and got Greg to 30-40. Greg was unable to save the break point and Dent was back in the set at 4-5. A good service game from Dent saw the scores level at 5-5.
Greg’s next game went to deuce, but he held to go 6-5 up. On Dent’s serve Greg then had set-point at 30-40 but a booming Dent serve negated that opportunity. A further two set points were created by Greg with the same result, Dent using his big serve to hold and go to the tie-break at 6-6. Dent got a mini-break on Greg’s 1st serve. Greg got the break-back to get to 1-2 down, but Dent was not to be denied, going 4-2 up as they switched ends. A further two good serves saw him get to 6-3 up, and then winning the tie-break 7-3, and the 1st set 7-6.
Dent had the advantage of serving 1st in the 2nd set and at 1-0 up made some good returns to break Greg’s serve 1st up. After that it was a confident Dent who increased his lead to go 3-0 up. Greg steadied the ship to get on the board at 1-3 but with both player’s struggling to serve in the midday sun, Dent just held his serve but Greg did not, which saw Dent serving for the set at 5-1 up. Greg rallied and put pressure on Dent who, at 30-40 down held serve but then gifted Greg another break-point with a double fault, which Greg duly converted to stay in the match at 2-5 down. Greg served well to get to 3-5, but Dent was not going to give Greg two chances and served out the set and the match, winning 7-6(3), 6-3.
A good match for Greg but one which was frustrating as the big serve of Dent worked just well enough to deny him the opportunities he created. Greg can be proud of the match he played and take some confidence from it.
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