USA via Asia 2012 #2

Greg's first round singles match in Bangkok was supposed to be played on Tuesday afternoon but some long matches before forced his match to be postponed to the next day. So on Wednesday Greg was off bright and early against up and coming Taiwan player, 20 year old Liang-Chi Huang, currently at his highest ranking of 429 and no doubt keen to improve that. Greg will have other ideas about that.
On a hot, humid day Huang led off the match and was made to fight for the first game but held on to his serve  to open the score. Greg followed suit and games went uneventfully with serve, even though Greg was serving at below 50%, to 4-4. Huang then held to go ahead 5-4 and put the pressure on Greg to hold his serve. Greg had game point at 40-30 but Huang won the next two points bringing up the first break point of the set and a set point at that. Greg was feeling the pressure and a double fault gifted the set to Huang 6-4.

Liang-Chi Huang

After a long comfort break between sets, Greg set about righting the ship and immediately attacked Huang's serve, breaking him and going 1-0 up. Greg was forced to save a break-point on his next serve before consolidating the break and go 2-0 up. Greg's serve was up in the 70%'s and the score reflected that stat, Greg holding easily to get to 5-3 and then serve out the set 6-3, levelling the match and taking it into a 3rd set.
With Huang again serving first, Greg got the early advantage at 1-1, breaking Huang to go 2-1 up. But he did not reckon on Huang's fighting qualities and Huang immediately had Greg, serving with old balls, at 15-40 and then broke Greg to level the score at 2-2. Huang strung together four games in a row, breaking Greg again, this time serving with the new balls, to take a stranglehold on the match at 5-3. Greg saved one match point but was unable to deny Huang the win, losing a close match, again, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6.
Greg will not be happy with that result in his first match back after some hard training, and will need to improve in the week's to come and work his way back into form. That match will not do much for his confidence. The surprising thing is that his service stats were good in the 3rd set, at over 65%, but he only won 45% of those first serves. Greg said that Huang was returning well, and just started teeing off and riding his luck with nothing to lose at a break down. His luck held and he turned the match around.
Huang won his next match 6-1, 6-1, showing that Greg had performed well against a good player.

USA via Asia 2012 #1

After two weeks of intensive training, focused on fitness and speed training, with daily hitting and some on court sessions with Australian Head of Tennis Development and former No. 1 doubles player Todd Woodbridge, it was a much more relaxed and a lot fitter Greg who said goodbye to Melbourne and once again hit the tennis tour, this time heading to Asia for three Challenger tournaments, the first in Bangkok Thailand, followed by two in China. Bangkok has plenty of good memories for Greg who has played their quite a few times but China will be a new venue for him, so will be exciting and challenging.
Being a direct entry into the Main Draw in the singles, Greg was not scheduled to play on the first day but did have a first round doubles match. He was partnering fellow Aussie and good mate John Millman from Brisbane and they were up against the Japanese pairing of 23 year-old Yuichi Sugita and 20 year-old Yasutaka Uchiyama, both teams unseeded.

Sugita Yuichi

The Japanese pairing were quick out of the blocks and broke the Aussies in the first service game. Greg and John hit back and had the Japs facing break points at 15-40 in their first service game but, in the sudden death deuce format the Japanese pair denied them the three break point opportunities and held serve to go 2-0 up. They continued their dominance of the first set, breaking the Aussie pair twice more and then held their own serve, to shut-out the Aussies and deliver a 0-6 bagel first set.
Greg and John had to get back into the match and were able to do so, holding serve in the second and then managing to get to 3-2 up on serve. Now into their rhythm they got the Japanese pair to 0-40 and converted to go a break up at 4-2.

Yasutaka Uchiyama

But the Japs hit back and broke back immediately for 4-2. Greg and John responded again and broke again to lead 5-2 and then held serve to win the second set 6-3 and level the match at one set all, taking the match into the match tie-break, first to 10 points with a two point advantage.
Strung into action the Japanese pair held serve and then pouched the first two points of the Aussies serve to go to a 3-0 lead they held their serves for a 5-0 and seemingly insurmountable lead in the tie-break. The Aussie had to respond. They held their next two serves but then were unable to break the Japs, the score going to 7-2. The Aussies were running out of points but did not give up, holding serve to get to 7-4, then managing to break and get a point back to 8-5, then held serve to get to 8-7, but still a break down. The Aussie pair then broke again to level at 8-8 but the Japs responded and got to 9-8 and match point but on the Aussies serve. Once again the Aussies held their nerve, saved the match point and then brought up their own match point at 10-9. The Japs were shell-shocked, having given up a 5-0 lead, and could not deny the Aussies, who stole the match by winning the tie-break 11-9.
They ate a bagel but ended up stealing the whole dinner, and advanced to the second round by never giving up.

A Trip to Ecuador #6

Montanita

After a string of close losses, and not making the cut for the Main Draw of the draw in Aptos and being unable to get back to Los Angeles with enough time to contest the qualifying, Greg weighed up his options and decided it was time, after being away for 3 months, to re-charge his batteries and also to take some time off tournament play to work on his fitness levels. A string of losses in the 3rd set suggests his fitness may not yet be at the level it should be since his injury and he wants to have a rest and then a short intensive fitness training block before contesting more tournaments.



The accommodation

He and Greg Ouelette took advantage of their locality and accompanied by local tennis player Ivan Endarra, they headed up the beautiful Ecuadorian coast to Montanita.

As quoted in Wikipedia "Montañita is a small coastal town located in the province of Santa Elena about 180 kilometers northwest of Guayaquil. Translated as “little hill”, it became famous very slowly, decades ago, as a place only for surfing, with only a few rustic fishermen houses and one or two surfers tent on summer time. Today Montañita is a multicultural beach, with tourists from all over the world." Still pretty rudimentary compared to some resort locations.

Street scene



Night life

A few days were spent in this little idyllic hide-away before the Greg's parted company, farewelled Ivan and began the arduous trip home, via Costa Rica and Guatemala, to LA, the trip made a lot better by being in Business Class. 

With a full-day lay-over in Los Angles, Greg took advantage of some shopping, to avoid the over-inflated Australian prices and indulged himself in a couple of pairs of jeans, a few T-shirts, a shirt, a jumper, a scarf ( for the cold winter in Oz) and more. Saved heaps he says.

Then it was the hard slog back to Australia, his 6'3" frame jammed in a middle seat between two"smelly" people. Not much sleep on that flight for Greg.

Now to work on that fitness...

A Trip to Ecuador #5

The second round of the doubles followed for the Greg's, Jones and Ouelette, who both lost their singles match and were looking for a win against the No.3 seeds 27 year-olds Chilean Jorge Aguilar and Mexican Daniel Garza.

Mexican Daniel Garza

The Greg's got off to a good start and were quickly up a break, and then held serve to maintain their advantage. They broke again and then served out the set, winning it 6-2.
The No.3 seeds were not done and fought back, matching it with the Greg's and then getting the all important break, then holding serve to win the match 6-4, to level the match and take it to the match tie-break.

Chilean Jorge Aguilar

The match tie-break, first to 10, with a two point buffer, was evenly contested. The tired Greg's got out to a 5-1 lead but their opponents were hanging in, and clawed their way back, levelling and taking the score all the way to 9-9. The Greg's twice had match point but could not get the vital point, saving match point themselves before their fresher opponents, who unlike the Greg's had not played singles on the day, brought up another match point at 11-12 and prevailed 11-13, winning the doubles match 2-6, 6-4, (13-11).
Another heart-stoppingly close match for Greg. which ended his Manta campaign.

A Trip to Ecuador #4

The quarter-final round of the Challenger in Manta, played on hard court, had Greg up against 23 year-old Argentinian Maximiliano Estevez, ranked 352, who accounted for the No. 4 seed in the previous round
Serving first Greg got off to a confident start, holding his first serve to love, then getting Estevez to deuce before he held serve. Greg then brought up a break-point on  serve at 2-1 and converted to go 3-1, then 4-1 up. Both players then held serve for Greg to serve for the set at 5-3. This he did, ending off the set with a double fault followed by two aces, to take the set 6-3.

Centre Court at night

With Estevez serving first in the 2nd set, Greg's intensity dropped away slightly and Estevez took advantage, breaking Greg at 2-1, to go ahead 3-1. Greg was unable to make inroads into Estevez's serve and in a mirror of the first set, games went with serve to 5-3, with Estevez leading. He served out the set 6-3, to level the match at 1 set all.

Maximiliano Estevez

Greg now served first in the 3rd set, in real danger of getting beaten. Greg was still serving at above 50% and held his service games well, but Estevez was matching him, serving slightly better and Greg could not get him to buckle, games going with serve to 4-4. Estevez then upped his returns and even with Greg serving four first serves, managed to bring up a break-point opportunity at 30-40, converting to get a decisive break of serve at the end of the match. With Estevez now serving for the match Greg managed to get him to 30-30 but Estevez responded and brought up match point, converting to win the set 6-4, and a hard fought close match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
A disappointing loss for Greg and a lost opportunity. Greg dominated the first set, having 5 break point opportunities against 1 but was not able to go on with his dominance, Estevez taking his opportunities by breaking Greg once in each set on each of the break points he created.
Another close loss in a hard fought match for Greg. At least he is in the mix and putting himself in a posiiton to win the match.
Estevez went on to be the losing finalist in the tournament.

A Trip to Ecuador #3

The third day of the Challenger tournament in Manta, Ecuador had Greg facing the No. 6 seed Columbian Carlos Salamanca, currently ranked 214, with a career high ranking of 137. At 6'5" tall Salamanca was a couple of inches taller than Greg.
Greg started the proceeding by missing his first 8 first serves but still managed to save a couple of breal points before holding his serve. Salamanca had no such trouble and with Greg starting to hit some first serves games went with serve to 3-3. Salamanca then forced Greg to defend a break point and converted to lead 4-3. Greg held his next serve and forced Salamanca to serve for the set at 5-3. Greg was unable to break Salamanca and he served out the game to win the first set 6-3.

View of Greg's hotel on the beach

Greg started the second set much better then the first and at 1-1, had Salamanca staring at  two break-points, converting the second to take a 2-1, then 3-1 lead. Salamanca fought back, holdinng serve and then forcing Greg to save a break-point to maintain his one break advantage at 4-2. Both player then held serve and Salamanca forced Greg to serve for the set at 5-4, which he did with aplomb, to win the set 6-4 and level the match at one set all. Greg was now serving much better, having recovered from his shaky start, at around 65% first serve percentage.

Carlos Salamanca

Serving first Salamanca upped the ante in the 3rd set, serving a straight 10 first serves to start the set in his opening two service games. But Greg's return was up to the challenge and he broke Salamanca in the first service game, going 1-0 ahead, holding for 2-0. Salamanca held serve to love, for 2-1, and then put the pressure on Greg. But Greg continued serving well and both players held serve to get to 5-3. Salamanca again held serve, forcing Greg to serve out the match. Greg again responded and brought up match point, converting the point to win a come-back, hard fought match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
A good win for Greg, in a match in which he at one stage felt that he was playing so bad he just wanted to walk off the court and fly straight home. But he stuck to the task, relaxed a little and was able to turn the match around. Salamanca, although serving well, played one loose game to start the 3rd set and Greg was able to capitalise and go on to get the win.