Aussie Summer 2015-16 #7

After another week of resting his shoulder, then fitness training during the four days of rain in Sydney, with only a little bit of hitting possible, Greg weighed up the options of either playing qualifying in the Challenger tournament in Canberra or in the ATP250tournament in Auckland. With a very strong Main Draw field and a much weaker than usual qualifying entry, Greg was confident of qualifying for the Canberra event but that may have meant playing three matches in two days, then a fourth match potentially against a Top 100 ranked player, for a return of say 2 points.

If the entries dropped low enough for Greg to make the new 2016 criteria of 16 player draw only in qualifying for the ATP250 in Auckland, Greg would only have to play two matches in two days, for a potential return of 12 points, if he won both matches and then a Main Draw match on the third or fourth day. As this was his first match back on the pro-circuit and his shoulder was still a work in progress Greg opted for the lesser tennis and greater return option, including better tournament conditions and free accommodation, and travelled to Auckland for the qualifying, hoping for some sunshine and a decent draw.
With enough withdrawals to allow Greg entry into qualifying, Greg was first match on on the Saturday. Unfortunately the entry had not dropped low enough for Greg to be seeded in the draw, which was lopsided in ranking, with four top 100 players, then the rest ranked from 250 to 2000. Greg drew the No.4 seed, 28 year-old Thiemo De Bakker, a former Wimbledon Junior Champion, with a current ranking of 99 and a high ranking of below 50. Ironically Greg and Thiemo had a hitting session the previous day.

Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker

Greg was serving well, but de Bakker was returning better, and despite five first serves Greg faced break point in the first game of the second set. He saved the first but could not save the second break-point going behind 0-1. De Bakker was also serving well, at 80%, and games quickly went to 3-1. Then Greg had an amzing game in which he served 10 first serves, but could not convert game point, eventually getting broken to trail 1-4. The rest of the match followed the same pattern. Greg struggled to hold, even though he served well and de Bakker holding easily, to run out a 6-2, 6-2 winner.
Greg was not happy with the result, or score-line, which he said did not reflect the match but he said he had played well and gained a lot from the match. He was still rusty on shot selection and serve variation. He said that the indoor courts they had practised on the previous day were a lot slower than the outdoor match courts and he had taken a bit longer than de Bakker to adjust to the speed of the court. De Bakker had returned well, and of course served too well, for Greg to make in-roads into his game.
Greg returned to Melbourne to continue training and hitting, preparing for the year ahead.
De Bakker went on to qualify for the main draw, then won his first round match, defeating Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinola, ranked 55, in straight sets.