USA in the Autumn 2012 #1

Greg survived the trip from China to Chicago without any further trauma from his upset stomach but had to endure an overnight stay in the O'Hare Airport as all the local hotels were fully booked. He then headed for Jacksonville, Florida which is to be his base for the next two weeks for a training block with Todd Martin.

Sawgrass Clubhouse

He had a one day break and then a couple of days coaching with Martin before starting the intensive coaching sessions in earnest on the following Monday, at Martin's new Tennis Academy based at the

 prestigious Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra. 



Sean Maymi



Sawgrass Country Club Tennis Courts

Greg was on court hitting with new coach Sean Maymi, who previously was coaching at the University of Michigan and also spent a few years with ATP player Michael Russell, whilst Todd Martin instructed and coached at his side. Greg said it was an excellent set-up and Sean was a good player and very likable guy. 

The Jaguars NFL game

On the Saturday Greg had the opportunity to attend his first NFL football match, featuring the local Florida Jaguars team. 

He said it was an awesome spectacle, with the stadium packed to capacity. Something every sports enthusiast should tick off the list.

Then the next day he was presented with something very special by a local ATP official that knows Greg - his own Jaguars players shirt, with the name G.JONES emblazoned on it. By coincidence Greg Jones is one of the team members of the Jaguars NFL team. How good is that. Greg was extremely honoured and chuffed to have been given that shirt.

The Florida Gators game

After a long hard week training, coaching and fitness Greg travelled   to Gainsville on the weekend to visit his USA tennis mate Greg Oulette and attend a College NFL game, to watch the local college team, the "Florida Gators". It must have been an interesting comparison.

After another few days training and coaching Greg will head for Sacremento on the west coast to play in the qualifying rounds of a Challneger tournament.

USA via Asia 2012 #8

Ningbo, confluence of the rivers

The week in Shanghai did not end well for Greg, who fell ill on Friday with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and was forced to postpone his trip from Shanghai to Ningbo. He had hoped to go

Ningbo, a coastal city about 3 hours drive south of Shangai on Friday evening but was only well enough to make the short trip without trepidation on Sunday. He managed to rid himself of the nausea and stop the vomiting but was lacking energy from an austere diet of rice and water, with a little bit of plain chicken thrown in. He should have stayed off the chicken as the protein did not help his digestion.

Ningbo suburban street

Greg did manage to get some training in and also got scheduled for a late Tuesday start for his 1st round match, which helped his recovery process. In the 1st round he was up against his peer, 23 year-old German Peter Gojowczyk. Although the same age Peter is a literally a veteran of the tour, having not played on the ITF junior tour but having contested the Men's circuit from an early age, and is enjoying his best season having achieved his high ranking of 182 in June and is currently ranked 204, some 140 places better than Greg.

Ningbo Tennis Centre

Greg got off to a good start forcing Gojowczyk to three deuces on his first serve but could not get abreak point opportunity, Gojowczyk doing enough to take the first game. Greg held serve, as did Gojowczyk, the score going to 2-1, then Greg quickly was facing three break points at 0-40, Gojowczyk converting to go a break of serve up.  He held serve and then again had Greg at 0-40 in his next service game. Greg saved two of those points but was unable to deny Gojowczyk, who broke Greg again to take a decisive 5-1 lead, serving out the first set 6-1.
Greg's serve for the 1st set were good but he was unable to match Gojowczyk off the ground in that set. He started the 2nd set well, going to a 1-0 lead on the back of four good first serves. Gojowczyk held serve and then had Greg facing another break-point. This time Greg prevailed, saving break-point and going 2-1 up in the set. Then Greg had to make a dash for the rest rooms, losing his battle to control his diarrhoea and forced to concede the match, retiring out of the match unable to continue, much to Gojowczyk's delight.

Peter Gojozcyk

And so ended Greg's sojourn through Asia. Not at all what he was expecting from the tour. He won two matches against low ranked players, lost three matches, earned no points and very little prize-money. Life can be very tough on the tour.
Greg is now heading for Jacksonville, Florida, via Shanghai and Chicago, another long haul especially with a dodgy tummy, to spend a couple of weeks training with and getting coaching from former No. 4 player Todd Martin.

USA via Asia 2012 #7



Night skyline of Shanghai

 After losing in qualifying in Shanghai, Greg had a week of training and hitting before travelling to the next Challenger tournament, also in China, at Pinghou.

With mates McClune, Yani & Staham



A roof top bar

It also gave him the opportunity to see a little bit of Shanghai with some tennis friends who were also in Shanghai, Americans Michale Yani (with whom he was sharing accommodation) and Michael McClune, Englishman James Ward and Kiwi Ruben Statham.

Greg's new look

 Greg was impressed by Shanghai, especially the outstanding buildings, which when lit at night presented a panoramic vista of the city.

 Greg also used his time off from tournament play to get a new look - a crew cut style haircut, good in the hot humid weather .

USA via Asia 2012 #6

The final round of qualifying in Shanghai saw Greg, the No.3 seed, up against 24 year-old Indian Sanam Singh. Ex University of Virginia player Singh, who became only the second player from that university to be ranked No.1 in USA Collegiate tennis, has risen from a ranking of 1,150 to his current high ranking of 402 in just under a year, having recently won two back-to-back Futures titles. A stern test for Greg in his quest to qualify for the main draw and regain his confidence and get match winning back on track.
Greg started confidently, getting to 1-0 quickly and then forcing Singh to face a break point opportunity in his first service game. A good first serve from Singh denied Greg that opportunity and he held serve for 1-1. He then reversed the pressure on Greg and had Greg facing double break point in the next game. Greg saved the first but could not save the second point, losing his serve to trail Singh 1-2. Singh consolidated the break and then again had Greg in trouble at 30-40. Greg saved that point and then another break-point, battling hard to hold serve and get to 2-3. But he could not make any in-roads on Singh's serve and, at 2-4 was again forced to break-point at 15-40, this time Singh converting the first opportunity, taking a stranglehold on the set with a double break at 2-5. Singh then quickly had three set points, Greg saving one of those but unable to stop Singh winning the first set 6-2.

Sanam Singh

Both players started the the second set strongly but, at 1-1, despite Greg serving 10 first serves in a row, Singh was returning well and he broke Greg to lead the second set 2-1. Greg fought back, getting Singh to 0-30 but could not prevent Singh from holding serve, to consolidate his break at 3-1. Greg held well and then had Singh facing two break-points, for an opportunity to break-back and level the score, but Singh served two good first serves and snuffed out that opportunity, to get to 4-2 up. Although serving a high percentage of first serves, Singh again had Greg facing break point but this time Greg held firm and denied Singh the break, to get to 3-4. Singh held to lead 5-3 and then again had Greg facing a match point at 30-40. Greg held nis nerve, saved the point and, fighting hard for every point, held serve to force Singh to serve out the match at 4-5. On the back of three big serves Singh brought up two match points and then served out the set, winning the second set 6-4 and the match 6-2, 6-4, denying Greg a place in the main draw.
Greg had served well, at 59% for the match, but Singh had returned well, winning a good percentage of those points, and had matched Greg in the serving department. Greg had not been able to convert his break-point opportunities, whilst Singh had, perhaps having more of the luck on the day.
And so back to the practise courts for Greg until next week, where this time he is in the main draw of the Challenger tournament in Pingou, China.

USA via Asia 2012 #5

The second round of qualifying had Greg up against Chineses teenager, 19 year-old Yang Lu, ranked 1055. A match which Greg should win comfortably unless Lu happens to be another hot youngster just hitting his straps.

Serving first Greg went to 30-0 before Lu won three points in a row and had Greg facing an early break point against him. Greg responded and saved that point, winning the game and going 1-0 up. Greg then applied his own pressure on Lu's serve annd broke the Chinese player to lead 2-0. Serving well Greg went 3-0 up then 3-1, before he broke Lu twice more to win the first set 6-1.
Greg started the second set well, breaking Lu again to lead 1-0, but a subsequent lapse of concentration by Greg produced a poor service game and allowed Lu to break back immediately to level at 1-1. Greg adjusted and broke Lu in the next game to again lead by a break, this time holding his serve to lead 3-1.  Lu converted a long deuce game to get to 3-2 but did not trouble Greg again, Greg breaking Lu again and serving out the set 6-2, winning a comfortable match 6-1, 6-2 to proceed to the final round of qualifying.
Greg said the conditions in Shanghai, whilst hot, where not at humid as Bangkok and were much more comfortable to play in than Bangkok.
Two down, one more match to go to qualify.

USA via Asia 2012 #4

In Shangai, China for the next Challenger tournament, Greg is required to go through the qualifying rounds, due to the recent drop in his singles ranking to worse than 340, and win three matches in order to play in the main draw. Seeded for the qualifying rounds, Greg's first opponent was 20 year-old Chinese player Yu Cheng Li, currently ranked 881.
Serving first Greg had little trouble holding his serve in the first set, but was forced to save a break point along the way. He was however unable to make any in-roads into Yu Cheng's serve, dominating the rallies but not being able to finish off the point, and the first set went all the way to the tie-break at 6-6. Greg fell behind early in the tie-break and changed ends 2-4 down. He immediately broke back to level and then go ahead 5-4. Yu Cheng served and levelled at 5-5 but Greg broke him again to bring up set point and serve out the tie-break 7-5 and win the first set 7-6.
Yu Cheng started the second set confidently, serving well and going 30-0 up. Greg, having been given a wake up call, increased his concentration and started making some better returns, constructing the point much better and finishing them off, winning the next four points to break Yu Cheng and go 1-0 up. Greg held easily to go to 2-0, then 3-1 up. Greg continued the intensity and broke Yu Cheng again from 0-30 down to go a double break up at 4-1. He then came back from 0-30 down to get to 5-1, before breaking a now beaten Yu Cheng a 3rd time in the set to win the set 6-1 and the match 7-6(5), 6-1.
Greg served well but did not compete well in the first set. He knuckled down and eaked out a win in the first set, serving even better in the second set but competing at a much increased level, which he needs to do from the start of the match.
One match down, two to go...

USA via Asia 2012 #3

The second round of the doubles was a virtual non-event for Greg and John Millman, up against Tapei's Liang-Chi Huang, who Greg lost to in the singles, and Chris Rungkat from Indonesia, as Greg was required to travel to Shangai in China to contest the qualifying rounds of the next Challenger tournament on Saturday.
The Aussies competed well but lost a topsy-turvy match, which had multiple breaks of serve both ways, 6-4, 6-2.