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.