Australian Summer 2012 - #1

The last day of 2011 saw the 1st round of qualifying for the 2012 Brisbane International ATP 250 tour event take place. Greg is in peak condition and raring to go for 2012. His 1st round opponent in the qualifying was big serving Australian giant Sam Groth. Recently back from a long stint away from the game due to a shoulder operation 24 year-old Groth had played well in the Wild Card Play-off tournament in December. Currently ranked 786 due to his injury, Groth has a high ranking of 220 and is a dangerous opponent if his big serve is firing.
Serving first, Greg got off to a slow start, facing two break points in his 1st service game. Greg saved one break-point but could not save the next and Groth was immediately a service break up, with Greg now having the task of breaking Groth's big serve. Sam held to love and games went with serve to 2-3, Greg trailing. Looking at a few second serves in the next game, Greg got Groth to deuce and then brought up break-point, converting to level the scores at 3-3. Serve dominated the next 5 games, all being won to love, for a score of 6-5. Sam held serve the next game to bring up the tie-break at 6-6. Greg won the 1st point and then got a mini-break to lead 2-0, then held serve for a 4-1 lead. Another mini-break by Greg saw him serve for the tie-break, winning it 7-2 and the set 7-6.

Aussie Sam Groth

With Groth serving first, serves dominated the second set, with no break-points being created by either player and the score progressing to 5-5. Greg then managed to get at look at some of Groth's first serve, returning well to force Groth  to 0-40 and bring up three break-points. Two aces and another unreturnable 1st serve saw Groth snuff out those opportunities to get to deuce and then hold serve. Greg then had a nervous deuce game to take the score to 6-6 and a second tie-break.
With Sam serving Greg got an immediate mini-break but Groth hit back to level at 2-2. Greg immediatley broke again and changed ends 4-2 up. He held and then broke Groth again to go 6-2 up and have four set/match points. Sam saved one but with Greg serving it was all over the next point, Greg winning the tie-break 7-3 and a big serving close match 7-6, 7-6, to advance to the 2nd round of qualifying.
Greg said the match was tough and required a lot of concentration on your own serve. He said the end of the 1st set and the second set was like sitting in the stands watching the other player serve. If Groth's or his 1st serve went in there was not much the other player could do. Greg remains the tie-break king amongst his peers, after his recent "tie-break" tournament win.