AO Series 2011 - Update #5

The Australian Open Qualifying tournament commenced at Melbourne Park with Greg needing to win three matches to get into the Main Draw. His first round opponent was wily 30 year old Frenchman Olivier Patience, currently ranked 196 and a high rank of 87 in 2004.
After a long wait for rain delays Greg started an evening match well holding serve to love and then forcing Patience to deuce, to get to 1-1. Greg then could not get his serve firing, hitting consecutive double faults to hand Patience a break of serve. Greg broke back to level at 3-3 but with no first serves in the next game dropped serve again to trail 3-4. Greg was able to match Patience from the back of the court but could not break him and Patience won the 1st set 6-4.

Greg hits a back hand

In the first game of the second set Greg initially was still serving poorly, facing multiple break-points but then started hitting his big serves in, getting back from 15-40 down and then saving further break-points to win the game. Patience was forced to save break points in the next game but levelled the score, games then going with serve to 4-4. Greg then faced a break point but managed to save and go 5-4 up. He upped the pace and had Patience facing 3 break/set points but some good serving saw Patience get back to deuce. A double fault by Patience then saw Greg have another set point. Some luck for Greg saw Patience's 1st serve hit the net and appeared to fall in. The umpire called a let but then the linesman called the serve out and the umpire then said "second serve". Patience did not hear and hit ostensibly his next serve as a 1st serve out. Double fault and Greg's point and the set 6-4. Patience disputed the 2nd serve call but it was quite audibly, even if the "out" call was not correct.

Frenchman Olivier Patience

The 3rd set saw Greg start serving very well, two aces helping to win the first game. He then broke Patience in the 2nd game for a 2-0 lead. A short rain delay ensued, games going to 4-2 and then further aces helped Greg to a 5-2, then a 5-3 lead. Serving for the match, Greg served 5 first serves but some excellent returning by Patience, coupled with a net cord winner and two shanked returns forcing Greg's errors, saw Patience break back and then hold for 5-5. Greg was unfazed and continued playing well, taking the game to Patience. Games went to 6-6, and being a Grand slam with no tie-break in the final set, then to 7-6. Geg then brought up a match point which Patience saved with a good serve, getting to 7-7. With new balls Greg held to 30 against a fired up Patience, both players playing to the max, to go 8-7 up. Greg then fought back getting Patience to 30-40 and another match point for Greg, saw a Patience forehand going wide against an approaching Greg, for Greg to win the match 9-7 in the 3rd set.

 Greg had started off very nervously and poorly but to his credit did not give up and played himself back into form and back into the match for a deserved and creditable win. Greg hit over 60 winners in fashioning the win.