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.