On to Japan - Update #2

In Toyota, Japan for a $35k Challenger on indoor synthetic hard court it was a poorly Greg who fronted for his 1st round singles match. He was suffering from a severe bout of flu, contracted in the cold Illinois autumn, and had seen the tournament Doc on Sunday but the medicine prescribed was not having a rapid effect.


Takao Suzuki

His first round opponent was veteran 34 year-old Japanese player Takao Suzuki, currently ranked 493 but with a chequered career consistently below 200 in the rankings since a high rank of 102 and was a previous winner of this tournament. As the No.6 seed, Greg was the outright favourite to advance to the second round, but the experience of Suzuki on his home court surface would present a good challenge.

On the slick indoor courts serves dominated and in a high quality first set games went with serve to the tie-break at 6-6. The tie-break was an energy sapping affair, the pair swapping set point opportunities until Greg got the decisive break to go 11-10 ahead and then served a winner, to win the tie-break 12-10. First set to Greg 7-6.

The 2nd set saw Greg start to tire and he said he struggled to maintain the intensity in another keenly contested set. He managed to save break points at 2-3 and 3-4 down but was unable to create any opportunities on Suzuki's serve. Games went to 6-5, Suzuki up with Greg serving to save the set and get to the tie-break, to hopefully win the match in straight sets. Suzuki again forced Greg to 30-40 - break point & set point. A tiring and not well Greg managed to save that point and then get the score to 6-6. The tie-break was hard fought but a missed forehand at 3-4, saw Greg go to 5-3 down, instead of levelling at 4-4. Suzuki went 6-4 and the broke Greg again to win the tie-break 7-4, and the set 7-6, to level the match at 1 set all.

The 3rd set saw a distressed Greg fighting hard and getting to 2-2 in games. Suzuki then broke Greg to take a 3-2 lead and consolidated the break to go to 4-2.

Greg said that was the match. He had little energy left. Suzuki broke him again and served out the set 6-2, winning a close match 6-7(10), 7-6(4), 6-2.

It was not a good end to his overseas tour but he was bouyed by some of his performances this year, many of which had been very close and the result could have gone either way, against some very creditable and tough opposition.

Greg will now make his way back to Sydney for a well-earned break and, once fully recovered, will plan and commence his training and hitting in preparation for the Australian summer of tennis.

On to Japan - Update #1

It was a gruelling trip to get from Champaign, Illinois to Toyota in Japan for Greg.

Chicago

He caught a bus from Champaign to Chicago and spent the night there. He managed to get into the Hyatt at a very good rate obtained on the internet. Then the next morning it was up at 5:30am for three and a hour hour a connecting flight to Vancouver.

Vancouver

That was good as he managed o get a few hours sleep on the flight. Next was an all day flight to Tokyo. Thirteen hours later he landed in Tokyo, without any sleep, and tried to find his way to Toyota.

Tokyo

Four hours and two train rides later he was in Nagoya. He then had to battle language barriers and no local currency to get a shuttle sub-way connection to the train.

Nagoya

The ticket office did not take credit cards. He eventually slipped through the gate and got on the sub-way. Then it was the final train ride to Toyota.

Toyota, Aichi, Japan

A half-an-hour later and  short ten minute walk and he was in his hotel, much relieved and quite exhausted. Plus he now had a bad cold from the air travel and dehydration.

Greg saw the tournament doctor and is now recovering and preparing for his first match on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Back to the USA 2010 - Update #12

Greg's second round opponent in the Champaign Challenger was the No. 6 seed, 27 year-old American Alex Bogomolov, currently ranked 201, with a high rank of 97. A solid baseliner with a good return he will trouble the big serving Jonesie, even on the slick indor courts.

The 1st set was dominated by the server, with neither player giving up a game on serve, games going to the tie-break at 6-6. In the tie-break Greg said it came down to one bad volley which made the difference, with Greg going down a mini-break as a result and losing the tie-break 7-3. Ist set to Bogomolov 7-6.

The 2nd set was quite similar but Bogomolov was able to break on one of Greg's service games and served out the set 6-3, to win the match 7-6(3), 6-3.

Greg said he had played well but Bogomolov was in good form. Bogomolov went on to win the tournament.

That ends Greg's tour of the USA this year and he will head for home via a tournament in Toyota, Japan next week. He has had a mixed year in the USA, with some good tournaments and some excellent play which resulted in some very close matches which have largely seen Greg unrewarded for his efforts. His time will come as long as he sticks to his training regime and continues to improve his game.

Back to the USA 2010 - Update #11

After a gruelling 1st round singles encounter in the Challenger tournament in Champaign, Illinois, Greg had to back up and play his 1st round doubles match. He was partnered by Australian mate Adam Hubble, who Greg had played with once before in Australia about two or more years ago, when the won a Futures title together.

Champaign view at night

Their 1st round apponents were 24 year-old American ex-Collegiate players Mark Czerwinski and Ryan Rowe, who are both currently unranked in the ATP rankings. It was a match Greg and Adam will no doubt want to forget as they went down 7-6(3), 6-3 to the College players.
Greg said there opponents played well but that he and Adam had opportunities in both sets, upon which they did not capitalise. At 4-3 up in the first set they had their opponents at 0-40 but were not able to win one of the next four (break) points, allowing the Americans to get to 4-4. Greg then dropped his serve next game. He and Adam got that break back to take the set to the tie-break but played a poor breaker, not hitting enougth first serves, to lose the tie-break.
Not a good result, probably due to fatigue on Greg's part after his long singles match.

Back to the USA 2010 - Update #10

Greg's next tournament is the Challenger in Champaign, Illinois. After his disappointing 1st round loss last week Greg elected to stay at his family billet in Knoxville, who he said were great folk, and train at the tennis centre there for the remainder of the week.

He then drove to Champaign on Saturday, getting to see a bit of the USA by road. 

Uni of Illinois - Atkins Tennis Centre



Greg's 1st round match was against 24 year-old Russian Andrey Kumantsov, currently ranked 319, whose steady rise up the ranks over the past years has seen him achieve a ranking high of 261 in September.

The first set was a close affair, with serves dominating on the slick indoor hard court surface, games going with serve to the tie-break. Serving first Greg got a mini-break and was able to serve out the tie-break 7-5, giving him the 1st set 7-6. Very close indeed.

The 2nd set followed much the same pattern, with games again going with serve all the way to the tie-break. But this time it was Kumantsov who asserted his game and won the tie-break a little easier at 7-3, winning the 2nd set 7-6 and sending the match into a 3rd set. Greg said that up to that point Kumantsov had already had two injury time-outs, for differing ailments.

In the 3rd set Greg held serve and then upped the ante. He started picking Kumantsov's serve and broke him to go to a 2-0 up Greg the held serve to consolidate the break and lead 3-0. Kumantsov then took another injury time-out, again with a different ailment, ostensibly to try and break Greg's concentration. Kumantsov held serve but was unable to break Greg, who went to a 4-1 lead.
Greg then got Kumantsov to 15-40 and had an opportunity to go a double break up. Kumantsov saved the first break point with a good first serve and played another good point to deny Greg the break. However at this point, at 1-4 down and deuce on his own serve, Kumantsov walked over to Greg and conceded the match. Kumantsov had had enough and retired injured (reason unknown as yet), gifting Greg, who was leading at that point, the 3rd set and the match, 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 4-1. Strange indeed.

Greg is entered in the doubles and will play his doubles match today as well.

Back in the USA 2010 - Update #9

Knoxville Racquet Club was the venue for the next Challenger tournament, played indoors. Greg's opening round opponent was former American player 28 year old Amer Delic, now playing under the Bosnian flag. A top 100 player with a high ranking of 60, Delic had been off through injury for 5 months through the mid part of the year. His ranking has dropped to 782 and is on the come-back trail, so watch out Greg. A big game player, the courts would suit Delic, as they would Greg, so long points would not be the norm.

Greg served first and at 3-2 up it was he who brought up the first break-point opportunity at 15-40 on Delic's serve. Two aces later by Delic and the score was back to deuce. Greg won the next point to have another chance but Delic again served a big serve and won the point, then levelled the match at 3-3. At 4-4 Greg was serving at 30-all when Delic shanked a return and Greg was unable to deal with it effectively, just putting the spinning ball into court and allowing Delic to easily past him, bringing up break point. Greg served and volleyed the next point only to see another shanked forehand pop over his head and land in court, converting the break, with Delic going up 5-4. A little bit of luck either way, good or bad, makes the difference in some of these matches. 



Bosnian Amer Delic

The second set was another close affair, serves dominating and games going with serve to 5-4, Greg leading. Greg then brought up set-point on Delic's serve but another massive serve closed out that opportunity. On Greg's next serve he missed a couple of first serves and Delic used the opportunity to take the game to Greg and get him to 0-30. Another good point from Delic and Greg faced three break-points. He saved two to get to 30-40 but could not win the 3rd point, Delic breaking to go 6-5 up. Greg tried to fight back but could only get to 40-30 and Delic converted the match point to win the set 7-5 and the match 6-4, 7-5.
Another close loss against a top player for Greg. He said he had played well but was frustrated again by some of the points which could have gone either way and made the difference between winning and losing.
Greg had six break-point opportunites on Delic's serve and was not able to convert any. Delic only created two break-point opportunies on Greg's serve and was able to convert both. Delic played the big points better and that was the essential difference in the match
Greg unfortunately did not get into the doubles event, which had a very low entry cut-off, so will have a day off before preparing for the next tournament in Champaign, Illinois.

Back in the USA 2010 - Update #8

After dispensing with last year's title holder of the Charlottesville Challenger in the first round of the singles Greg had the task of facing up against the other finalist from last year in the second round. In a quirk of the "draw" it was a rematch of the Commonwealth Games Gold Medal match against 25 year-old Indian Somdev Devvarman, the No. 2 seed, currently ranked 96.

Somdev in action in Delhi

Played as the feature match in the evening, the match followed the same pattern as their previous encounter, with Devvarman winning the 1st set 6-3 and then repeating the score in the 2nd for a 6-3, 6-3 win over Greg.

Greg SMS'ed and said it was a very close match. He had played well but that he was "soooo unlucky". Have not spoken to him yet so not sure what that means, but he was obviously quite frustrated with the loss.

He will now travel to Knoxville, Tennessee for the next Challenger event.

Greg later said that he had missed quite a few opportunities he created by just missing long by mere millimetres. Good to hear that he was going for his shots.

Back to the USA 2010 - Update #7

The last acceptance into the draw, now ranked 258, in the singles of the Challenger tournament at Charlottesville, Virginia, Greg was up against experienced campaigner, 32 year-old American Kevin Kim, currently ranked 185, but a regular top 100 player with a high rank of 63. The match was played in the evening as the feature match on the main court as Kim was the title holder, beating Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Somdev Devvarman in the final last year.
Games went with serve in the 1st set until 3-3, then Kim managed to get a break-point opportunity on Greg's serve and converted to take the advantage and go to a 4-3, then 5-3 lead. Greg steadied the ship to get to 5-4 but could not deny Kim serving out the set 6-4. Greg said Kim was playing unbelievable tennis and he had only won 1 point on Kim's serve in the 1st set.
 Greg held his 1st service game in the second set and then surprisingly broke Kim in the next game to go to a 2-0 lead. He then held well to consolidate the break. Kim got back into the match but Greg was able to break him again to take control of the 2nd set and go on to level the match at 1 set all, winning the 2nd set 6-2.

The 3rd set saw Greg go 2-1 up on serve and then had Kim at 15-40, with a great opportunity to break and continue his domination. He said he completely duffed the shot and Kim went on to hold serve for 2-2, then reversed the momentum, taking the impetus away from Greg by breaking Greg's next service game and go to a 3-2, then 4-2 lead. Greg battled back and managed to break back then hold to level at 4-4. Greg went 5-4 up but Kim levelled again at 5-5. Greg served confidently for a 6-5 lead and then brought up match point on Kim's serve. He broke Kim to win the set 7-5 and disappoint the American crowd for a come-from-behind hard fought 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win and progress to the second round.

Greg will have a day's break and will play his next match on Thursday.