Euro Summer 2010- Update #2

The first round of the singles qualifying saw Greg fly out of the blocks against Slovakian Pavol Cervenak. Serving first Greg held serve then immediately broke Cervenak, then held again to go to a 3-0 lead. He had a break-point opportunity to go further ahead but Cervenak held for 3-1. Greg held and then broke Cervenak again, serving out the set confidently, 6-1 to Greg.

Greg continued the domination in the 2nd set, breaking Cervenak at 1-1, to lead 2-1, then 3-1. Greg then had another break-point opportunity but could not convert, Cervenak holding to go to 2-3. Greg held for a 4-2 lead and then again brought up break-point opportunities but Cervenak just held on, managing to keep close to Greg at 3-4. Then Cervenak forced Greg to 30-40, taking the opportunity to break back. to level at 4-4, then go ahead on serve 5-4. With Greg now serving to stay in the set, Cervenak forced Greg to15-40,  Greg saving the 1st break/set-point but not able to deny Cervenak from winning the next point and the set 6-4. A complete turn-around to change the course of the match.

With the momentum with him Cervenak rolled off 4 first serves to go 1-0 up in the 3rd set. Greg was not able to respond and Cervenak broke him 1st up and again held serve well, to race to a 3-0 lead. He again broke Greg and served another good game to go 5-0 up. Greg got to 40-30 up but could not deny a rampaging Cervenak, who broke Greg, to bring up an emphatic 6-0 third set score-line, winning 10 games in a row to win a topsy-turvy match 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 and bundle Greg out of the tournament.

It was an extremely angry and shocked Greg, who said that it all happened so fast like one bad nightmare and that he angry that he was not able to stop it. In a tail of the stats, Greg's serve percentage dropped from a very good 76% in the 1st set to 65% in the 2nd, to 58% in the 3rd, while Cervenak improved through-out the match from 64% to an amazing 92% in the 3rd set.

Greg will travel to London next for a week of training before his next tournament.

Euro Summer 2010 - Update #1

Greg hit the European scene in Paris, a little jet-lagged to start, but now having adjusted and getting used to the Roland Garros clay in preparation for the French Open qualifying, the weather a little cooler than he would have liked in Europe at this time of year.

He plays his first round qualifying match today. His is the second match scheduled on Court 12, the 1st match starting early at 9am Paris time, about 5pm Sydney time. Greg should go on court between 7pm and 9pm depending on how long the 1st match takes.

Greg is drawn against 22 year-old Slovakian Pavol Cervenak, currently ranked 236. Greg and Pavol have met once before, on the slick synthetic indoor courts of Japan, where Greg eaked out a narrow 7-6, 7-6 win. It will no doubt be a challenging match on the slower Paris clay surface.
You can follow the score on the official Frech Open website: http://www.rolandgarros.com/

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #19

The second round of the doubles in Sarasota again saw Greg and Rubin pitted against the Australian pairing of Kaden Hensel and Adam Hubble, seeded No.2 for this tournament.

In a close 1st set it was Hensel and Hubble who go the crucial break of serve and continued on to win the set 6-4.

Greg and Rubin were then broken again in the first game of the 2nd set but recovered to break back and then go to 2-2. However Hensel and Hubble then broke our boys again to go 3-2 up. They held and broke again to run out 6-4, 6-2 winners.

And so ended Greg's USA campaign - a mixture of good wins and some close losses. He can be proud of his performances and of achieving a ranking high in both the ATP singles and doubles.

He will now enjoy the 5-star resort at which they are staying, no doubt playing a bit of golf and lying around the pool or the beach before he heads to Paris next week for the French Open qualification.

USA Campaign - Update #18

First round of the singles in Sarasota saw Greg matched against the No. 8 seed, 23 year-old Alex Kuznetsov from the USA, currently ranked 179 with a high of 158 last year, - a good even challenge for Greg.

And it was an even match, with just one break in each set separating the two players, unfortunately in the favour of Kuznetsov, Greg going down 6-4, 6-3 on the green clay.

He will be disappointed with that result.Doubles 2nd round up tomorrow.

USA Campaign - Update #17

This week it was Sarasota, on the West Coast of Florida, where Greg was to play another $50k Challenger Tournament, hosted at the Longboat Key Club and Resort (see picture).

 Doubles was up first and Greg and Kiwi partner Rubin Statham faced the USA pairing of Cory Parr and Todd Paul.

In a match which Greg said never reached any great heights Greg and Rubin won the 1st set 6-2 and followed up with the 2nd set 6-4, to advance to the 2nd round with a solid 6-2, 6-4 win.

Greg plays his 1st round singles on Tuesday.

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #16

The No. 1 seeds, comprising doubles specialists Treat Conrad Huey from the Phillipines and Indian Harsh Mankad, were the opposition facing Greg and Rubin in the 2nd round of the doubles in Savannah.

Greg and Rubin played to their singles rankings in the first set and broke the No.1 seeds twice in winning the 1st set 6-2, The doubles specialists responded and against tiring opposition, who had both played tough singles matches that day, won a close 2nd set 6-4, to take the match to the match tie-break "3rd set".

Unlike yesterday Greg and Rubin could not reverse the impetus the opposition had and fell behind in the tie-break, losing the tie-break 10-7 to bow out of the tournament with a 2-6, 6-4, (10-7) loss.

Greg will have a day off before heading for his next location, Sarasota, on the west coast of Florida, for another $50k Challenger tournament on clay.

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #15

Second round of the singles in the Savannah Challenger had Greg pitted against the No.8 seed, 30 year-old American Robert Kendrick, currently ranked 164, with a high rank of 69 achieved last year. Greg would have given himself an even chance of winning this match.
Greg did not start well and quickly found himself a break down, dropping a further break of serve to trail 5-1, Kendrick winning the 1st set 6-1.Greg rallied and went a break up early to lead 3-1. A further break of serve to Greg and he had the set 6-2.
But another come from behind win was not to eventuate, with Kendrick upping the ante and taking the game to Greg, going a double break up to win the 3rd set 6-1 and the match 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.
Greg and Rubin, who also lost his 2nd round match today, take on the No.1 seeds later today in the doubles 2nd round.

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #15

First round of the doubles in Savannah saw Greg and partner Kiwi Rubin Statham up against the experienced clay court South Americans Paul Capdeville and Brian Dabul.
Greg and Rubin took a close 1st set 6-4 but the South Americans hit back to close our pair out 1-6.
The 3rd set match tie-break was a close affair, with Greg and Rubin saving match point on their way to a 12-10 win, to progress to the 2nd round with a 6-4, 1-6, (12-10) win

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #14

Savannah, Georgia, on the east coast of the USA was the next stop for Greg. With a high level of top ranked players in this $50k Challenger, Greg was fortunate in the draw in the singles, missing a seeded player, drawn against talented 19 year-old Canadian Vasek Pospisil, currently ranked 296 but boasting 5 titles in the lower $10k futures level tournaments last year.
On a rain interrupted day it was Pospisil who took the initiative, breaking Greg's serve early to go ahead 3-1.Then the heavens opened up and play was suspended for the day.
Much work for Greg to do tomorrow when play resumes but plenty of time still left in which to get back into the match. More news tomorrow...
Resuming today Greg was unable to get back the break-of serve in the 1st set, still getting his "clay" feet in his first clay tournament of the year, losing the 1st set to Pospisil 6-4.
Greg obviously took just a set to get into the clay groove as he raced through the 2nd set, breaking Pospisil twice to win it 6-1. He then repeated the dose in the 3rd set, winning the set 6-2 and the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
He plays doubles with Rubin Statham later today.

USA Campaign 2010 - Update #13

With partner James Ward having just finished a 3 hour singles match that afternoon, tackling the No. 1 seeded pairing of German Martin Emmrich and Swede Andreas Siljestrom, it was always going to be a struggle for Greg and James against double specialists. And so it proved, the No.1 seeds taking the match comfortably 6-1, 6-2.
Greg said that they had played well but Emmrich and Siljestrom always had the upper-hand.
Greg now travels to Savannah, in Georgia, on the USA west coast, for a $50k Challenger event.