Australian Summer 2012 #12

Greg and Sam Groth's opponents in the 2nd round of the doubles at the Burnie Challenger were fellow Australians, ex-USA Collegiate players John Peers and Greg's good mate JP Smith, who Greg played with at the Australian Open. Newly graduated from college both players were

JP Smith

now enjoying success on the ITF Futures circuit, improving their rankings every tournament, with a good knowledge of doubles play learned on the competitive college tennis circuit over the past four years.

John Peers

Playing in the evening Peers and Smith served first, with Greg and Sam saving three break points but failing to break on the one opportunity they had, in getting to 3-3. They then managed to get Peers to 15-40 and got the break to lead 4-3, then held serve for 5-3. Smith and Peers hit back, holding then breaking big Sam's serve to get to 5-all, then lead 6-5. Greg served and held, to take the set to the tie-break at 6-6. Peers and Smith got the early break to lead 4-1, then held their serve to get to a 6-3 lead and have 3 set points. Greg and Sam saved those points, changing ends even at 6-6. Peers held serve to have another set point and then they broke Greg and Sam, to snaffle the first set 7-6, 8-6 in the tie-break.

Big-serving Sam Groth

In the second set Greg and Sam were serving first but it was their opponents who got the first break of serve at 1-1, to lead lead 2-1, then 3-1. Sam and Greg could not get any points against their opponents serve until 3-4 down. They then had them at 0-40 and converted to level at 4-4, holding serve to lead 5-4. They then had set point on the sudden death deuce point and won that, to steal the second set 6-4 and take the match into the 3rd set match tie-break, first to 10 points.


Greg and Sam

Peers and Smith were not done and were the first to get a mini-break to go 3-0 up. They extended their lead with another mini-break and held serve to go to a 8-3 lead . Sam and Greg held serve and broke one serve back, to get to 5-9 down, but the match was Peers and Smith's, winning the tie-break 10-5. The "suits" had knocked off the big serving tennis jocks! A disappointing match for Greg and Sam, who had knocked off the No. 2 seeds in the previous round, but the sudden death format demands 100% focus and at times can be a lottery, both for winners and losers.
Now onto Caloundra for the next Challenger tournament.