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.