Asia-America tour #13

The second round of the singles in Champaign saw Greg up against compatriot 26 year-old giant Chris Guccione, currently ranked 282 but playing well below his level, with a high ranking of 67. Guccione accounted for the No.2 seed in the first round and the match could well depend on how his serve is firing. Greg will need to match his serving prowess.

Downtown Champaign



In the first set it was Greg who held his serve better, getting a decisive break against Guccione and going on with the momentum to win the set 6-4.

Aussie Chris Guccione



Guccione came firing back in the second set, as Greg dropped his serving intensity, and broke Greg twice to win the set 6-2 and level at 1 set all.

The third set was keenly contested but the flow was with Guccione, who broke a tiring Greg and then served out the set 6-3, to win a close match 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Greg had played well but had fallen off in intensity towards the end of the match. He says he is extremely fatigued and will not be travelling to Japan for the Challenger tournament, electing rather to return home and sort out whatever is wrong with him, recover and prepare for the Australian Summer Circuit.

Asia-America tour #12

The first round of singles in the Challenger tournament in Champaign saw Greg avoid the seeded players in the draw, up against big serving 25 year-old South African Fritz Wolmarans, currently ranked 283, with a high ranking of 198 in May 2011.
With no live-scoring available for this tournament, not sure how the games went but it was Greg who got the breakthrough in the 1st set and served out the set 6-3.

Fritz Wolmarans

The second set was again a close affair, with just one break of serve separating the players, with Greg getting the decisive break of serve and winning the set 6-4 and the match 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the 2nd set.
Greg said he played "awful" but that Wolmarans had played worse. Greg said he is lacking energy and feeling very lethargic and run-down, so is not performing to the best on court. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow in the second round.

Asia-America tour #11

Monday in Champaign, Illinois for the last of the USA Indoor Challenger Tournaments and Greg had his doubles match first, playing with his Canadian mate Pierre Duclos. Their draw was not a good one though, as they faced the No.1 seeds German Martin Emmrich and Swede Andreas Siljestrom, ranked 89 & 81 respectively in the doubles.
Greg said they did not serve well and fell behind a break of serve early in the first set. They were not able to recover and lost the set 6-3.


Champaign Atkins Tennis Centre

The second set was a rout for the No.1 seeds, who dominated, breaking Greg & Pierre three times and running away with the set 6-0, winning an easy match 6-3, 6-0. Greg said he is not feeling 100 percent at the moment, lacking energy, feeling fatigued and unable to get going. We hope he is ok, as he plays his singles match on Tuesday.

Asia-America Tour #10

Knoxville Indoor Courts

In Knoxville the 2nd round of the doubles saw Greg and Pierre up facing the unseeded pairing of Cheng-Peng Hsieh and Hsin-Han Lee of Chinese Taipei. It was the 2nd match of the day for Pierre who had narrowly lost to Harri Helivaara earlier in the singles.

Greg and Pierre did not start well, losing their first service game and then dropping serve again to trail a double-break down at 1-4. They rallied, breaking the Taiwanese pair to get the score back to 4-5 down.

With Lee serving they managed to bring up a sudden death deuce break-point, which was also a set-point to the Taiwanese pair, but could not win the point, losing the game and the set 4-6.
Greg and Pierre again started the set badly, losing their serve to trail by a break. This time though they were able to get back the break and even the set score at 2-2. At 4-3 up they managed to break again and served out the set 6-3, taking the match into the match tie-break at one set all.

Greg and Pierre immediately got a mini-break to lead 1-0 but then could not find a first serve and lost their next two points to trail 1-2. They levelled the score at 4-4 and then got their nose in front at 6-5 only to have the Taiwanese hold serve and lead 7-6. Greg & Pierre levelled at 7-7 but dropped the next service point to trail 7-8 and give the Taiwanese pair the opportunity to serve out the match tie-break, which they did, winning it 10-7 and a very close, tense match 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.

Greg will be disappointed as he hoped to go deep into the doubles draw and get some invaluable match play and doubles ranking points, especially as the No.1 seeds had been beaten in their side of the draw.

Asia-America Tour #9

In the first round of the doubles in the Knoxville Challenger Greg and partner, Canadian Pierre Duclos, were drawn to play the seeded pairing of Helivaara and Molchanov but Molchanov had been defaulted out of his singles match and was prohibited from then playing the doubles. The silly fellow had, in a moment of petulance, thrown his racket and it had hit a lineman in the shin and thus was defaulted. Instead Greg and Pierre faced the lucky loser pairing of Moldovan Roman Borvanov and Australian Nima Roshan.

Roman Borvanov

Serving first Greg struggled to hold his serve at the start, saving four breakpoints in getting to 2-2. Games went to 6-5 with serve, with Greg and Pierre unable to convert the single break-point opportunity given to them mid-set. With their opponents serving to stay in the set, Greg & Pierre applied pressure, bringing up 3 set points and converting to win the set 7-5.
Greg and Pierre improved their game in the second set and dominated but were unable to convert their opportunities at first. They continued to return well and broke their opponents to take a decisve lead, running away with the set comfortably 6-3, progressing to the second round with at 7-5, 6-3 win.

Asia-America Tour #8

This week it was Knoxville, Tennessee for Greg on the Challenger Tour for a $50k event. Seeded No.8 in the singles Greg avoided been drawn against the top seven ranked players in the draw but still got a difficult
draw in 33 year-old Finn Harri Heliovaara, ranked near Greg at 215, his

 highest ranking, so in good form.
With Greg serving first serve dominated on the fast indoor court surface with no points being lost against serve until the 5th game at 2-2. Greg held his serve though and games went to 5-5, with neither player giving up a break opportunity. Greg held for 6-5 and was then able to put the pressure Heliovaara, who was serving to stay in the set. Greg got Heliovaara to 15-40, then converted the 2nd break-point opportunity to win a close first set 7-5.

Indoor court view - Greg receiving

Serving first again in the second set, Greg held serve but was unable to make inroads into the Heliovaara serve, games going to 4-4. Greg then had a huge service game, going to deuce and giving up a break-point opportunity, his first of the match. Heliovaara pounced, converting the opportunity to go 5-4 up and then served out the set 6-4 to tie the match at one-set-all.

Heliovaara then capitalised on Greg's apparent loss of concentration and broke Greg for the second game in a row to lead in the 3rd set 1-0 and then 2-0. Greg fought back but could not get the vital break-point opportunity, games going with serve to 3-5 in Heliovaara's favour. Greg needed to hold to put the pressure on Heliovaara but was forced to 15-40 and with two match points Heliovaara broke Greg again to win the set 6-3 and the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Finn Harri Heliovaara

A disappointing match for Greg, who should have had Heliovaara's measure. Greg started well but was not able to maintain his form and was not able to cope with or apply the pressure when required.

Greg still has his first round doubles match to come, to be played tomorrow.

Asia-America Tour #7

The first round of the singles in the Charlottsville Challenger presented a tough challenge for Greg in the form of the No.1 seed, 26 year-old Indian Somdev Devvarman. Currently ranked 79, with a high rank of 62, Devvarman has been the victor on their three previous encounters. Greg will need to play at his best just to stay with Devvarman.

Serving first, Greg got off to a cracker winning 7 out of 8 first serves to go 2-1 up. He then forced Devvarman to 15-40 and converted the 2nd break-point opportunity to go a break up at 3-1. He then quickly got to 40-15 before his first serve deserted him and Devvarman hit back, getting Greg to deuce and then breaking Greg's serve and holding his serve for 3-3. Greg held serve for 4-3 and then forced Devvarman to multiple deuces but could not get a break-point opportunity, games going with serve to 5-5. Devvarman then got Greg to 30-40 and converted the opportunity to serve for the set at 6-5. Greg was unable to hit back and Devvarman served out the game to 30, winning the set 7-5.

The Boars Head Club - venue for the tournament


It was an distracted Greg who started the 2nd set, quickly getting behind 15-40 and then dropping his serve to trail 0-1, then 0-2. Greg re-focussed, serving four first serves to get on the board at 1-2 but the damage had been done and he was forced to play catch-up.

Somdev Devvarman



Twice he had break-point opportunities on Devvarman's serve at 2-3 and 3-4 but Devvarman snuffed out those chances and held serve, getting to 5-3 up. He then attacked Greg's serve and forced Greg to 0-40, and three match points. Greg saved one match point but was unable to prevent Devvarman closing out the set 6-3 and winning a close fought match 7-5, 6-3. 

Whilst bitterly disappointed at starting the match so well and not being able to maintain the advantage, Greg said he had played well. It is the closest Greg has got to Devvarman in four matches and he created a lot of opportunities in the match which is promising. But back to the practice court for this week.

Asia-America tour #6



Venue for the Tour Event

 Greg had a two week break away from tournament play and spent the time receiving coaching and training with ex-top ten USA player Todd Martin in Jacksonville, Florida. Greg said the coaching, training and advice received was excellent and he benefited greatly from the training block. Hopefully that can translate into a good improvement on the tournament court.
This week Greg is in Charlottesville, Virginia for a $75k Challenger tournament. He was scheduled to play his 1st round doubles match first, partnering with good friend, 26 year-old Canadian Pierre Ludovic-Duclos. They were up against a wild-card pairing of Treat Conrad Huey from the Philippines and Englishman Dominic Inglot. Resident in Charlottsville, Huey is currently at a ranking high in doubles of 58, so will be keen to win and will be confident.

Treat Conrad Huey

In a close first set it was some double faults which proved to be Greg and Duclos' undoing, with Duclos serving two double faults in the 3rd game to gift a break to their opponents to go 1-2 down. Whilst Greg chipped in with a double fault of his own at set-point down at 3-5, 30-40 to hand the set 3-6 to Huey and Inglot.

The second set was also a close affair, with most games getting to 30-30 but Greg and Duclos were unable to get the break through, both sides holding serves to go to the tie-break at 6-6. In the tie-break the pressure again told and at 2-3 Duclos double-faulted to give the advantage to Huey/Inglot, which they did not relinquish, winning the tie-break 7-3 and the match 6-3, 7-6.
Greg plays his first round singles match on Tuesday evening.