Nepean Tie-break Shoot-out

The inaugral Nepean Tie-break Shoot-out, held in Penrith over two days on Christmas Eve, offered the winner $10,000, a huge incentive for money poor young tennis professionals. The final day event was a knock-out format, with matches being the best of three 7-point tie-breaks. The first day was a round robin for unseeded players, with the top players in each pool advancing to the 32 round knock-out on Saturday. The top 8 seeded players played each other in a single 10 point tie-break to determine their ultimate seedings in the 32 man draw. Sounds like easy money for the winner but each match was a nerve-jangling experience for the player, and the spectators.
Greg was the No.1 seed and won six of his seven tie-break matches on the first day, thus remaining the No.1 seed for the knock-out phase of the event. The other seeded players were Sadik Kadir, Adam Feeney, Matt Barton, Dane Propoggia, Nick Lindahl, Isaac Frost and Jonathan Cooper, the only player whom Greg lost, in his final round robin tie-break.
Greg started a bit nervously in the knock-out phase, losing the 1st tie-break in his 1st round match against David Barclay 3-7. But he recovered to win the next two tie-breaks 7-0, 7-4. Greg then handled semi-reired former top Aussie player Goran Kovacevic well, winning 7-4, 7-2 before facing NSW's Simon Ede who knocked out seed Issac Frost. Greg served 5 aces in winning 7-2, 7-5.

Nick Lindahl and Greg

In the semis he was up against No. 3 seed Adam Feeney. Greg won a very tight 1st tie-break 7-5, getting the break on the last point, before Feeney evened the match at 1 tie-break all, winning the 2nd tie-break 7-3. The third tie-break was keenly contested, greg getting a mini-break to go 3-2 up, then serving an ace to consolidate the break. Serving well Greg maintained the advantage and ended the match on another ace to win 7-4 and advance to the final.
The final, with $10,000 for the winner and $500 for the finalist, was against Nick Lindahl, who overcame the No.2 seed Sadik Kadir in the quarter-finals, then knocked out Matt Barton in the semi finals.
It was Greg who got the early beak but Lindahl levelled, before Greg again broke to lead 2-3, winning 5 points in a row to win the first tie-break 7-2. The second tie-break again saw Greg get an early break but Lindahl levelled at 3-3, then went 4-3 up. An ace saw Greg get to 5-4, then he broke Lindahl to go 6-4 up, serving out the tie-break 7-5, winning the final 7-2, 7-5 and his second biggest pay-check in his career.
Greg returned superbly during the day, improving with every tie-break play, keeping the pressure on his opponents. He also served very well, mixing up his serve with some bomb aces and good sliders and kick-serves and deserved the win for his play and his professionalism.
Surprisingly the winner's prize-money offered in this event is the fourth highest in Australia.

AO WC Playoff #3

The semi-final of the AO Wild Card play-off was played on a hot very windy day, with the blustery wind making it difficult to play good power tennis and levelling the playing field in the match up of Greg against his fellow school team player, teenager 19 year-old James Duckworth. Duckworth has had a stellar year on the Futures Circuit this year, reaching six finals and winning three of them, reducing his ranking some 300 places to his current ranking of 274. Greg and Duckworth have never played each other at ATP/ITF level but Greg should be confident against the younger, clay court type player although the windy conditions will make play tricky.

James Duckworth

Duckworth won the toss and served first. Greg was quick out of the blocks and immediately had Duckworth at 0-30 but two loose forehands meant he could not keep the pressure on and Duckworth held, games going with serve to 4-3 up. With new balls in the seventh game Greg should have held serve easily but, after starting the game with an ace, he was unable to find another first serve in the windy conditions and went 15-40 down. He got the score back to deuce but Duckworth persisted and brought up two more break-points, converting to take the lead and serve for the set at 5-3. Greg had other ideas and with a few good returns and a few winners forced Duckworth to 15-40 and then broke him to get back on serve at 4-5. Greg held to love for 5-5, then broke Duckworth again, and after a huge effort and a big momentum swing, Greg served out the set, to end a remarkable come back to win the set 7-5.

In the 2nd set, Duckworth steadied the ship, winning his serve after losing 4 games in a row, and games went with serve to 3-2. Then Greg again inexplicably struggled with the new balls in the wind and faced break-point. He missed a close 2nd serve wide, double faulting to lose serve. Greg thought the ball was good and this seemed to upset him and drain him. Duckworth had an important break to lead 4-2. This time he consolidated the break in a love game, ending with an ace and then again broke a still clearly annoyed Greg, who had another close-call over-ruled by the chair umpire, to bring up set point. Greg double faulted giving Duckworth the game, and not forcing him to serve out the set, which Duckworth won 6-2. 

With Duckworth serving first Greg again had him in trouble immediately, bringing up break-point in the 1st game. Unfortunately Greg was not able to capitalise on a short 2nd serve, catching the net tape on the return and the chance was gone. As happens, Greg then faced break-point in the next game and saved two break-points before uncharacteristically double faulting on game point and then getting broken to fall 0-2 behind. Duckworth held to love for a clear 3-0 lead. Greg dug deep and held serve and then brought up break-point again. This time Duckworth saved with an ace but Greg again got to break-point. This time a high back-hand volley at the net proved to be too difficult in the wind and Duckworth held to go 4-1 up.

 Greg again was not done and held serve and then broke Duckworth to get back on serve and hold for 4-4. In Duckworth's next game Duckworth again faced break-point but Greg could not break. Score 5-4 to Duckworth. I the next game Greg had game point but another double fault saw Duckworth able to bring up match point. Greg played a great point, forcing Duckworth wide, stretching for the ball. Duckworth just managed to flick up the ball, which looked to be sailing well wide and long. Unfortunately the wind blew the ball back unto court. It clipped the line and Greg was not prepared, scambling to get to it and dumping a weak shot in the net to give the point and the match to Duckworth.

A very frustrating match for Greg, who in the 3rd set had game point in 9 of the 10 games but was unable take advantage of that fact, the wind playing a significant part in the outcome, being more in the favour of Duckworth's reliable back-court game then the big power game of Greg.

Greg will rue the chances he did not take, that loss no doubt hurting his chances of gaining any wild cards into the big tournaments this summer.



AO WC Playoff #2

The second round of the Men's AO Wild Card Play-off was played on a hot windy day. Greg and his opponent 21 year-old New South Welshman Dane Propoggia, currently ranked 666 were first match on court had possibly had the least wind on the day. Greg and Propoggia came through the NSW tennis juniors together so know each other well, with Greg having won all three of their past encounters, the last almost three years ago.

Dane Propoggia

With Greg serving first both players held their opening games confidently, Greg making unforced errors on his fore-hand early on. Propoggia forced Greg to deuce in the 3rd game but Greg was able to use his big serve to hold for 2-1, games going with serve to 4-3. Greg then had two break-point opportunites at 15-40 on Propoggia's serve but was unable to take advantage, Propoggia fighting back and holding serve. At 6-6 the tie-break saw Greg get an early mini-break but Propoggia hit right back levelling at 2-2. Greg then upped the ante winning the next 5 points to wrap up the tie-break 7-2 and the 1st set 7-6.

Jonesie watching his forehand


After both players held serve in the 2nd set, Greg forced Propoggia to break-point and broke his serve, for a 2-1 lead, consolidating by holding his own serve to lead 3-1. Greg kept the pressure on Propoggia, breaking his serve again to go to a 4-1, then 5-1 lead, going on to win the set 6-1, to advance to the semi-finals with a solid 7-6, 6-2 win.
Watch highlights of the match >
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLrbpc26n_4&feature=player_profilepage#t=132s

AO WC Playoff #1

After a week's holiday in Las Vegas with some of his tennis mates from the USA and elsewhere, Greg returned to Sydney for a few days. Then it was back to Melbourne to get into training for the Australian Summer of Tennis, starting with the Australian Open Wild Card Play-off, where the winner receives direct entry into the Main Draw of the singles of the Open.

With Greg being the fourth highest ranked player in Australia, and Tomic and Ebden ranked in the top 100 and Lleyton Hewitt already deservedly receiving wild card, Greg is the No.1 seed in the draw, of 24 players and received a bye through the first round of the play-off. In the 2nd round his opponent was teenager 19 year-old Queenslander Gavin Van Peperzeel, currently ranked 1056, a match Greg should deal with but for which he will be nervous.

Greg on Court

With Greg serving first, both players held serve before a double fault and a couple of winners from Van Peperzeel had Greg facing break-point. A dubious line-call gave Van Peperzeel the break and a 2-1 lead. Greg remonstrated with the umpire about the line-call and then really got fired up, breaking Van Peperzeel immediately to level the score at 2-2 then reeled off another seven straight games. He broke Van Peperzeel three times to win the first set 6-2.

Greg started the second set in the same vein, going to a a 3-0 lead and having a breakpoint to go 4-0 up but Van Peperzeel was able to hold serve for 3-1. Greg was serving well and was untroubled on serve in the 2nd set, going on to lead 5-2 and have three match points before Van Peperzeel held for 5-3, forcing Greg to serve out the match. Greg stepped up and showed his class by serving 3 first serve bombs and an ace to win the game and the set 6-3 and the match 6-2, 6-3 and progress to the quarter-final round.

Greg only plays again on Friday, as Thursday is a rest day.

Greg also helped out at the Draw for the play-off. View video on the Tennis Australia web-site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RyZmOagxMmk#t=0s