American Summer 2013 - US Open #1

When the initial entry list for the US Open qualifying tournament, in which 120 direct entrants (based on the ATP rankings at a date three weeks before the event) and 8 wild card recipients compete for 16 places in the main draw, Greg was not in the tournament but was the 14th alternate. With seven wild cards to the main draw and a few withdrawals he moved up the list to be four places our. It was a nervous wait for him to see if there would be any further withdrawals. After a week training with Todd Martin in Florida Greg travelled to New York just a single place out, but quickly thereafter heard that he had made the cut list and would be playing.
To get into the final sixteen and the main draw of the Open Greg would have to win three matches, and potentially beat two seeded players to do so, typically ranked between 100 and 140, or thereabouts. The draw Gods were kind, with a twist. Greg had avoided a seeded player but had draw the only player he had lost to twice this year, 18 year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios from Canberra, winner of the Junior Australian Open, and ranked No.1 in the ITF Junior ranking, with an impressive ATP ranking of 214. A big server, Kyrgios has a big accurate serve and, having very little to lose, goes for his shots when ahead in the match. Greg lost to him in consecutive Challengers in Australia early in the year. Kyrgios had not entered a competitive match since Wimbledon but has been training extensively at the  AIS in Australia. Greg will have to and play well, especially serve well, to win.

Nick Kyrgios with AO Trophy


With Greg serving he held serve, then Immediately had  Kyrgios facing break-point but could not convert, with  Kyrgios levelling the score at 1-1.  Kyrgios then quickly had Greg under pressure in the third game, forcing him to break-point at 15-40 and converting to take a 2-1 lead and force Greg to play catch-up. Neither player started serving well, both players below 50%, but it was Nick who improved during the set whilst Greg struggled with his serve, at around 35%, but still managing to hold serve. Greg fought back but Kyrgios served too well and denied Greg any opportunity to get a break-point opportunity, serving out the set to love , to win the first set 5-4.
The second set was almost a mirror of the first set, with the exception that Greg served much better, and that in the thud game he had game point before Kyrgios forced him to deuce and then break-point. Gregbsavd that point but a determined Kyrgios brought up another break-point and converted to break Greg and again lead 2-1. With both players serving equally well games quickly went along to 5-3, Kyrgios shutting out any attempt by Greg to get back into the match. Greg held serve for 4-5 and made his last attack on Kyrgios, but Kyrgios held firm to win the match 6-4, 6-4.
Greg was naturally disappointed. His comment was that "he (Kyrgios) served amazing". Greg has started slowly, perhaps nervously. The lost break- point opportunity in the second game perhaps being the difference in the match, something which would have put Kyrgios under pressure and made given Greg an opportunity to build on his game. But not to be.

American Summer 2013 - Aptos #1

Having  received a special exemption into the Aptos Challenger, getting from Vancouver to Aptos proved to be a challenge for Greg and fellow travellers, as the flight was delayed and they only got into San Francisco at midnight, forcing Greg to find a hotel and stay overnight in 'Frisco. He got to Aptos a day late, which restricted his practice time and his time to adjust to the courts, which were a lot slower than Vancouver. His first round match was against the No. 8 seed, 28 year-old Taiwanese Jimmy Wang. A former top 100 player, with a high rank of 85 attained in 2006, Jimmy was forced to take a two year break from the game due to injury, but now back on the tour for about two years, has struggled to get back up in the top 100 but has still worked his way back to a decent ranking of 139. A consistent and accurate player with good movement, Wang could test Greg's big court game. 

It was a very cold summers day with temperatures around 15 degrees, and an icy wind chill factor which made it colder, that greated the players for the first round encounter. Wang held serve and then immediately broke a slow starting Greg, then quickly held serve again to lead 3-0. Greg started the fight back, getting to 40-30 on his serve but Wang, with a break advantage, went for his shots and pegged Greg back and broke him again to lead 4-0. He then quickly held to lead 5-0, then broke Greg again, to deliver a bagel 6-0 first set loss to Greg.

Seascape Resort & Club at Aptos

Serving first in the second set, and with momentum all his way, Wang held serve end then attacked Greg's serve again. Greg was landing a good percentage of first serves but on the slow courts, with heavy balls in the cold weather, he was not getting the zip he normally gets and Wang was able to pick his serve. He broke Greg again to lead 2-0. Greg fought back getting Wang to face break-point but Wang was able to save, and win the game, to lead 3-0. Another break of serve against Greg and a hold by Wang saw Greg staring at a 0-5 scoreline for the second time. A double break up, Wang was swinging freely, and he broke Greg for the sixth time to win 6-0, 6-0. Easily Greg's worst score-line in his career. 

Jimmy Wang

It was a litany of circumstances which contributed to the loss for Greg. He said he was still fatigued from the previous three tournaments in a row and from travelling, the courts were slow (James Ward, who has a similar game to Greg dropped his serve 9 times in his match), the cold weather made the balls heavier, there was an icy swirling breeze, Greg was off and Wang was on fire.
So hopefully Greg will cope with that shocker of a loss, recover and continue on his way.

American Summer 2013 - Vancouver #4

Centre Court in Vancouver

Greg's quarter-final match was delayed due to persistent drizzly rain on Friday and so was postponed to be played on Saturday morning. This meant that the winner of that match would have to play his semi-final that day, but it was the same for all the quarter-finalists, so no-one got an advantage. Greg did benefit though, as he had not made the cut for the next tournament in Aptos and was required to play qualifying on the Saturday. As he was still in the singles in Vancouver he received a special exemption into the main draw of the Aptos tournament, thus avoiding having to play in qualifying, so a bit of luck came his way.

Greg breaks back to level at 3-3

His opponent for the QF round was the No.2 seed, 23 year-old Canadian rising star Vasek Pospisil, ranked 89 with a high ranking of 85 last July 2012. A formidable challenge for Greg.

Screen shot of Vasek Pospisil

Greg did not start well, dropping his serve in the first game but fought back, both player's struggling to find first serves, breaking back to level the first set at 3-3. Greg held serve to lead 4-3 and then pressured Pospisil to two deuces but could not get a break point, games going to 5-5. Then, in a poor service game by Greg, Pospisil got Greg to 15-40 and converted to take the advantage in the set at 6-5. Pospisil served two aces in winning the game to love and closing out the set 7-5. 

Screen shot of Greg serving

Greg again dropped serve in the first game of the second set, still struggling to serve first serves. Pospisil consolidated to lead 2-0, then 2-1 after Greg held serve. Then in a marathon 12 point game Greg forced Pospisil to save two break-point and have 5 deuces before he managed to hold serve, denying Greg the opportunity to break back and extend his lead to 3-1. Greg was serving much better and games went with serve to 5-4, with Pospisil to serve for the set, and Greg's last chance to break serve. But Pospisil was up to the task serving out the final game to love, to win the match 7-5, 6-4.
Greg was disappointed with how he had struggled to land his first serves but felt he was more than Pospisil's equal when the ball was in play. Pospisil had served well on the critical points, producing first serves and aces when required and served 12 aces to Greg's 4 aces. Greg had also come to the net well and won a lot of points by doing so, which bodes well for the future. He had defended the points he had so will not drop in the rankings.
Next stop Aptos, California.
Vasek Pospisil went on to win the tournament, then followed that up by beating John Isner in the Montreal Masters a few days Peter

American Summer 2013 - Vancouver #3

The second round in Vancouver, played late in the afternoon, saw Greg face up against the winner of last week's Challenger in Lexington, Englishman James Ward. Britain's No. 2 player, Ward is a good friend of Greg and had a good winner over Australia's rising star James Duckworth in the final last week. Ranked 179, with a high rank of 137 in April 2012. Ward has had problems with his wrist over the last two years and after surgery is well on the road to getting his ranking up where his talent suggests it should be. An attacking player, Greg will have to match his good mates' game.

Serving first, Greg's first serve was not in attendance but he held serve on the back of five good second serves. He was immediately on the attack and broke Ward to lead 2-0. Ward responded and forced Greg to break point in the next game but Greg held firm and held serve to lead 3-0. Games then went with serve to 4-1, with Greg slowly improving his first serve percentage. He then broke Ward to lead with double break advantage at 5-1, serving out the set 6-2.

With Ward serving first in the second set, both players held serve to get to 2-2, then Greg forced Ward to deuce, then to face two  break-points but Ward denied him, games going to 3-3. Greg again brought up break point and then broke Ward to lead 4-3. But Ward hit back, breaking Greg immediately, to level the score at 4-4. At 5-5 Ward had a 12 point game but got through it to lead 6-5 and put the pressure back on Greg to hold serve. Greg responded to take the set to the tie-break at 6-6.

UK Davis Cup Player James Ward

In the tie-break Ward and Greg both held to go to 2-1. Greg the pouched both of Ward's serves to lead 4-1 with a double mini-break. A good first serve took the score to 5-1 but then Ward got a mini-break back an d held both of his next serves to close the gap to 4-5. The matchwas on Greg's serve and he held his nerve to get match point at 6-4. It was a relieved Greg that won that point to win the tie-break 7-4 and the match 6-1, 7-6(4).

A good win by Greg who returned well and was able to win points and games, despite not serving well. He said it was a very hard match with few free point but again served well in the tie-break, which gave him the win.  

American Summer 2013 - Vancouver #2

In the doubles in Vancouver Greg and partner, American Tennys Sandgren, were granted a wild card into the tournament and were ironically drawn to play against another wild card pairing. Their opponents were the former top 100 player from Belgium Olivier Rochus and partner Frenchman Clement Reix. It would be an interesting match against the very skilled but diminutive Rochus.

Frenchman Clement Reix

The European pairing were quick out of the blocks and consolidated an early break to lead 4-1. Greg and Tennys held to get to 2-4, then 2-5, but were then broken again, the Europeans winning the first set 6-2.

Belgian Olivier Rochus

It was much the same in the second set unfortunately, with Greg and Tennys dropping their serve early in the set and then losing another serve at the death to also lose the second set 2-6, and the match 2-6, 2-6. 
Greg was unable to raise his game after his epic singles match and their opponents were on fire, returning well. Now he can concentrate on his singles.