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.