Grass Season - Manta on Hard #5

Semi-final day in Manta, Ecuador and Greg was scheduled second match on against the No.4 seed, young 20 year-old Argentinian Facunda Arguello. A top 10 ranked Junior player, Arguello had a high ranking of 164 last month, so is in good form but is best suited to clay court surfaces and Greg will fancy his chances against him.

Serving first Greg was on fire to start the match, holding serve to love, then breaking Arguello in the Argentinian's first service game to lead 3-0. Greg then was forced to save a break-point on his own serve to consolidate the break at 3-0, then broke Arguello again for a double break 4-0 lead. Greg held for 5-0, then 5-1, before serving out the set 6-1.


Greg serve volleying

Greg then lost focus and intensity, starting the second set with three unforced errors on Arguello's serve an following up with a poorservice game with two consecutiv double faults to hand Arguello a 2-0 lead and a lifeline back into the match. Greg's could not get back into his first set form and quickly found himself 4-1 down. Arguello took advantage of some more poor serving by Greg and got asecond break to lead 5-1, easily serving out the set 6-1, to mirror the first set score and level the  match at one set all.

After a toilet break and change of his sweaty shirt on a 27 degree celcius evening, it was a more focussed Greg who took to court for the third set, although still not back at his first set insensity. He struggled to find a first serve, at 50% level, but still managed to get to 2-1 with some good all-court tennis, coming into the net frequently to win the point. 

Argentinian Facunda Arguella


He then upped the ante and forced Arguello to face two break-points, converting the first to take an critical 3-1 lead. He consolidated the break with a love game, but still only one first serve, to lead 4-1. Arguello fought back, aided by some uncharacteristic errors by Greg to get to 2-4, then breaking Greg to get back on serve at 3-4.
In the next game, at 30-15 Arguello thought he had hit an ace to go to 40-15, but the serve was called out and Arguello remonstrated with the umpire. Greg won the point then brought up breakpoint, converting to go a break up again at 5-3. Arguello was not pleased, snapping his racquet in half on the ground. Greg then stepped up to crucially serve out the match. He lost the first point but came good to win the game and the set, winning  a very topsy-turvey match 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
Greg had played well in the first set but had not enforced his superiority or advantage, allowing Arguello back into the match, to regain confidence and once again put pressure on Greg. But Greg came through to reach the fifth Challenger final of his career. Let's hope he can win his first title tomorrow.