Back in the Saddle #3

After some excellent training on the clay courts in Prague, in which he played as many practise matches as possible and he said that his injured leg was much better, it was off to Bordeaux in France for the qualifications of the Challenger event there. The draw gods were kinder to Greg this week and now it was up to him to perform at his best, although it was only his second match in more than two months.

His opponent in Bordeaux was 29 year-old Frenchman Nicolas Renavand, currently ranked 369, with a high ranking of 308, but with a doubles ranking of 143 and no doubt adept in the art of clay court play.

Both players started nervously, both losing serve before they started hitting some first serves and took the score along to 2-2. At 3-2 up Greg got the better of Renavand, reeling off 11 points unanswered to break Renavand and progress to 5-2. With new balls Renavand held serve for 5-3 and then Greg served for the set. Despite Greg hitting 4 out of 5 first serves Renavand blasted some return winners, breaking back and then brought out his clay court game, reeling off 5 games in a row to stun Greg and win the set 7-5.

Outplayed in the latter part of the 1st set Greg again took charge early in the 2nd set and, with some better serving and more concentration, he broke Renavand to lead 3-1, and then consolidated to get to a 5-2 lead in the set. Renavand held serve for 5-3 but there was to be no repeat of the 1st set, as Greg served out the set, winning it 6-3 to level the match.

Nicolas Renavand

Renavand had the advantage of serving first in the 3rd set and, after both players held serve, he forced Greg to 30-40, and managed to break Greg to go ahead 3-1. Greg knuckled down and fought hard but Renavand just did enough to win his service games to 30 or deuce and served for the match at 5-3. Greg saved a match point to get that game to deuce but was unable to deny Renavand on the second opportunity from winning the game, set and match 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
Disappointing. Just like last week Greg had opportunities to win the 1st set and stamp his authority on the match and take the win but had lapses during the match which cost him. It was interesting to note that the other big serving players in the qualifying struggled in the slow clay courts with most of the big servers like Greg not progressing through the 1st round and the "clay court grinders" getting the wins.
Greg himself had this to say about the match "Thanks Dad. I am not disappointed at all. I actually played really well, had a good attitude, fought hard abd couldn't really have done too much more. (Other players) Yani and Ball watched the whole match and reflected that as well. (The) guy (Renavand) was just too good on clay".

A good attitude to the match but a mindset that perhaps needs to harden up in order to progress. Losing to a person who has never progressed past 300 in the ATP rankings, on any surface, should not be a good result, if you want to get your ranking below 200, or 100 for that matter. Greg had a good 1st serve % in the match but an average win rate on that serve, and that needs to improve, as does his play on the big points. It is only his second match back after his lay-off for injury and on his worst surface too, so let's hope he will improve.