USA in the Autumn 2012 #10

After  a week training and coaching with Todd Martin Greg said he was hitting the ball sweetly, the best he had all year, and was looking forward taking to the court for some tournament play. Then, with three days to go with Todd, Greg experienced an intense pain in his right elbow. Out of nowhere, with no obvious impact or strain, his elbow was suddenly very sore and after trying to flex the arm and hit away the pain, Greg was forced to stop and treat the elbow with ice. They had to adjourn the training for the day and after a good's night's rest Greg hoped it would be better but it was not to be. He was forced to rest the arm and not hit for the next two days and headed for the next tournament in Charlottesville, Florida.

Charlottesville Street scene

Greg agonized on whether his elbow was better or still too sore to compete. He eventually decided to try and play and signed in for qualifying.
His 1st round opponent was 23 year-old Hawaiin Dennis Lajola, currently ranked 600, near his recent high rank of 535 in September this year. Lajola has recently finished a four year stint at college in Hawaii where he was the Western Conference Athlete of the year in 2011, so has only just started playing in the tour full-time.

The Indoor Courts at Boar's Head
Tennis Centre

It was not the best decision of Greg to play the match as he could not play to optimum capacity and was not able to serve at full pace due to his sore elbow, nor play his normal back court shots. He dropped serve twice in the first set to Lajola, losing the set 2-6. In the second Greg struggled to hold serve, saving break-points to get to 1-1 before he retired injured, forfeiting the match to Lajola.

Dennis Lajola

Greg is now going to take a week off to rest the injured elbow, and will have x-rays and an MRI to assess if there is any damage to his elbow, which he said is now more sore than previously. More than likely that will be the last match Greg will play on the regular tour this season. He will most probably return home to Sydney and give his elbow time to repair before preparing for the hard yakka he has to do next year in order to retrun his ranking to the levels it was previously, and continue the challenge to get a top 100 ranking.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #9

Greg enjoying LA

After the disappointment of not qualifying for the Tiburon Challenger Greg travelled back to Los Angeles to hook up with his mate and sometimes hitting partner David Bidmeade. 

David and lots of food



David had been to a wedding in  Las Vegas and was spending a week with his friend Guy in L.A. and it was a good opportunity for Greg to get some good hitting, along with some relaxed company and see the sights of L.A.

LA's beaches



Guy was keen to show them around and Greg and David enjoyed some of the better things which L.A. had to offer other than Universal Studios and the glitz of Hollywood Boulevarde.



Tasty Cuisine

Guy showed them different places off the beaten tourist track as well as taking them to some good beachside resraurants in Newport and Laguna. Greg said it was very great. They would practise early then hit the town for lunch, stuff their faces and then come back for some hittings, before going somewhere else for a sundowner, then dinner.

Personality Pug

Guy, who is also Australian, is engaged to a local girl Adine and Greg, who is not normally fond of animals, said they had the cutest little pug dog with the best personality.

Greg in Florida at a Jaguars NFL game

After a hectic few days, Greg then headed back to Ponte Vedra in Florida, for a calmer environment and more coaching with Todd Martin. He said it was good to get some quiet time after LA and to re-charge the batteries. Greg plans to train with Todd for 10 ten days before heading to Charlottesville, Virginia for the first of three indoor Challenger tournaments, where he will have to go through qualifying to play in the main draw.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #8

The Tiburon Peninsula Club

The final round of qualifying in Tiburon had Greg facing one of the 2012 Wimbledon doubles title holders, Denmark's Frederik Nielsen. The 29 year-old Dane, along with England 's Jamie Marray, was a surprise entrant, never mind winner, in the doubles at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club, the pair becoming the first Wild Card recipients to win the Doubles Title. A veteran of the tour Nielsen's singles rank belies his talent, ranked 364, despite having represented Denmark in the Hopman Cup tournament in Perth this year. A hot and cold big serving player, Nielsen will be a tough opponent.
The first set was a closely contested match with the players swopping breaks of serve. Greg managed to conjure up 8 breaks of serve opportunities in the set but luck was not going his way and hecould only convert a single opportunity. He had the better of the play but it was Nielsen who broke Greg a second time to take a 5-3 lead in the set and served it out to win the set 6-3.

Frederik at left with Brit Jamie Marray
celebrating their Wimbledon Doubles
Title victory

Greg was determined to stay in the match and immediately hit back, breaking Nielsen in the opening game of the second set. But despite Greg serving well, with a high percentage of first serves, Nielsen was returning equally as well and he broke back immediately to level at 1-1. Nielsen held serve and then broke Greg again to go a break up at 4-1, games then going with serve to 5-3. With Nielsen serving for the match Greg got him to deuce but was unable to bring upa a break point opportunity and the Wimdbledon doubles title holder won the set 6-3 and the match 6-3, 6-3 to proceed to the Main Draw of the singles at Greg's expense.
Greg was disappointed but said that he had played and served well but Nielsen's good returning had put him under a lot of pressure and made a big difference on the day.
Greg will now travel to Los Angles to join his good David Bidmeade for a few days hitting before going back to Ponte Vedra in Florida for ten days to work with coach Todd Martin. He then plans to play three indoor Challenger events in the USA, where he will be required to go through qualifying to enter the main draw.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #7

View of the Tiburon Peninsula,
north of San Fransisco 

In the second round of qualifying in Tiburon Greg was up against another US ex-college player 23 year old Drew Courtney, unranked in the ATP. Courtney was ranked in the top 20 nationally and has a decent doubles ranking at 229, but it is a  match Greg, seeded 6, would expect to win unless Courtney is an as yet untapped talent. 

Drew Courtney



Greg started well, holding serve and breaking Courtney in his first service game to lead 2-0. Greg then went walk-about and at 40-0 on his serve lost 5points in a row and dropped his serve. He hit back immediately, breaking Courtney to lead 3-1, games then going with serve to 5-2. Greg then again broke serve to win the set 6-2 and serve first in the 2nd set.

It was Courtney's turn to hit back and, helped by a lack of concentration on Greg' part, he broke Greg and held serve to lead 2-0. Greg re-focussed, held serve and then broke back, games going with serve to 5-5. Greg then held to lead 6-5 and put the pressure on Courtney to serve to stay on the match. He buckled and Greg broke to win the game, the set 7-5 and the match 6-2, 7-5.
Greg said he was never in trouble in the match but did lack concentration at times, something he will need to tighten up.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #6

The first round of qualifying for the Tiburon Challenger threw up an incredible coincidence. Greg, seeded 6 for the qualifying, faced the same player he had played in the first round of qualifying in Sacramento, USA junior 17 year-old Mackenzie McDonald, unranked as yet in the ATP senior rankings. Ranked 17 in the ITF Juniors, McDonald had pushed Greg to three sets and almost caused an upset.

Tiburon Peninsula's waterfont houses

With McDonald serving first, Greg was keen to assert his authority and immediately had McDonald defending break points in the first game but McDonald held firm and games went to 1-1. Greg again had two break point opportunities but McDonald again responded and held serve, games going to 3-3, with Greg dominant on his own serve.

Maclenzie McDonald at the Orange Bowl

McDonald then held serve to lead 4-3 and got Greg to deuce, then brought up a break-point of his own. It was Greg's turn to defend and critical that he held serve at that point of the set, which he did, games going to 5-5. Greg then forced McDonald to deuce, then break-point, coverting the opportunity to lead 6-5. McDonald fought hard to break back getting Greg to deuce twice, then to defend a break point but Greg held firm to win the game and the first set 7-5.
Greg did not want to give McDonald any thought of getting back into the match and broke his serve in the first game to go a break up at 1-0. Greg held serve and then broke McDonald again to take a stranglehold in the match. But McDonald mounted a fight back, forcing Greg to 30-40 in his next game. Greg rose to the challenge and saved the break-point and held to lead 4-0, denying McDonald  any chance of a come-back. Games went with serve to 5-1, whereupon Greg again broke a dispirited McDonald to win the set 6-1 and a hard fought match 7-5, 6-1.
And so to the second round of qualifying, still two matches to win to qualify.

USA Autumn in the 2012 #5

The second round of the Sacramento Challenger saw Greg face up against an unseeded player, having beaten a seeded player in the first round. His opponent was another USA player, this time 22 year-old Stanford graduate Bradley Klahn, who is playing the tour full-time this year and brags a first round win at the USA Open recently over former top 10 player Jurgen Melzer, still ranked in the top 50. At a ranking high of 346, and obviously on the rise, Klahn won that match in 5 sets, so is obviously very fit and able to go the distance against Greg.

Sacramento bridge view

Greg took the game to Klahn in the first set and was able to convert one of the five break-point opportunities he created, whilst winning a high percentage of his first serves and not facing any break points himself, taking the score to 5-3. He stepped up and served out the set to win it 6-3.
But Klahn was not done, turning the momentum around and starting to pick off Greg's serves and force him to face multiple break-point opportunites, breaking Greg to go a break-up. Greg fought back to break Klahn and level the score in the 2nd set getting to 4-4. Klan then held serve to lead 5-4 and forced Greg to  hold his serve. Under immense pressure Greg went down 30-40 and on the 7th break-point of the set Klahn again broke Greg to pouch the second set 6-4 and tie the match up at one set all. 

Bradley Klahn at the US Open

With Klahn having the advantage of serving first in the 3rd set, he held serve and then turned the pressure on Greg, breaking Greg to go ahead 3-1 and then hold serve for a 4-1 lead. Greg needed to consolidate but was not able to. Klahn with the bit between his teeth, forced Greg to face only the 2nd break-point of the set and converted again, to lead 5-1. Greg was serving well but Klahn returning even better. Klahn stepped up to serve out the set but Greg had other ideas and now swinging freely with Klahn tightening up at the end of the match, forced Klahn to 15-40 and won the point to get one break back at 2-5. Greg held serve for 3-5 and then got Klahn, again serving for the match, to deuce. Three deuces ensued but Greg could not get that elusive second break-point opportunity and Klahn prevailed, winning the third set 6-3 and the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to bundle Greg out of the tournament.
Greg had served well and was happy with his game but could not stop the tide from turning once Klahn had adjusted to his game. Greg will now travel to Tiburon, in the north part of San Fransisco for the next Challenger Tournament, where he has to contest the qualifying rounds once again.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #4

The Main Draw of the Challenger in Sacramento did not offer up the best draw for Greg, who was drawn to play the No.8 seed, young 20 year-old Denis Kudla, who is in good form and near his high rank of 158 achieved two weeks ago, ranked 160 this week. A tough match for Greg who has had two hard qualifying matches in the last two day, which could leave him a bit tired but also well conditioned to the court surface and speed and improving in confidence.
The first set was a see-sawing affair with Greg forced to face five break point opportunities but he was serving well, and managed to save four of the five points. In constrast Greg forced Kudla to defend 6 break point opportunites. At 3-3 Greg held serve and then broke Kudla for second time to lead 5-3 and serve for the set, which he managed to do, to win the first set 6-4, having served 4 aces in the set.

Denis Kudla

Greg got the second set off to a great start, breaking Kudla in his first service game and then holding serve to take a 2-0 lead. Greg then got Kudla to 15-40 and although Kudla saved the first break-point Greg converted to go a double-break up at 3-0. Greg served out his next game to lead 4-0. Greg had the momentum and a despondent Kudla conceded his next service game to give a confident Greg a triple break 5-0 lead. Greg served out the set and the match delivering a second set bagel to Kudla, with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 win.
Greg said he had served well, had moved well and is feeling good after a short match. Amazing what a good string of wins can do for the confidence. He said that he has been able to work on specific aspects of his game after each match with Dave Bidmeade and having his company has also been very positive, with Dave a supporting face in the crowd during matches. Greg has a rest day tomorrow before tackling the second round match.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #3

The Centre Court at Sacremento

The final round of qualifying in the Sacramento Challenger had Greg facing the No.7 seed, 21 year-old American Devon Britton, currently ranked 463, with a high rank of 441. A contest Greg should be confident of winning but lately he has been lacking that confidence.

In a closely contested first set both players offered up just one break point each, Britton managing to deny Greg but Greg unable to prevent Britton from breaking him and taking the lead, games going to 5-4 with Britton serving for the set. Greg was unable to break back and Britton  won the set 6-4.

Devon Britton

In the second set it was Greg who served the better and forced Britton to save three break-points, whilst saving one himself. Greg eventually broke on the fourth opportunity, going on to win the set 6-3 and keep himself in the match.
Serving second in the 3rd set Greg's cause was not helped by a drop in is first serve percentage but he did win 100% of those serves and performed well enough on his second offering to get to 3-3. He was returning well and forced Britton  to save four break points before breaking him on the fourth opportunity of the set, to lead 4-3. Greg held serve for 5-4 and then pressurised a despondent Britton who half tanked the game to give Greg the second break of the set and the 3rd set 6-3. Greg won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to qualify for the main draw.
A satisfying result for Greg who will be hoping for a kind draw in a very strong Challenger field.

USA in the Autumn 2012 #2



Sacramento

Greg departed the training venue at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra on Thursday and headed, via a long layover in Chicago, to Sacramento on the west coast in California, to play in the qualifying rounds of the $100,000 Challenger event. He was joined there by good friend and sometimes flat mate David Bidmeade, who will work with Greg for the next few weeks as a hitting partner and sounding board.
Greg is seeded at No.3 in the qualifying and, with four players qualifying for the main draw, is seeded to get through, but normally would have to win three matches to do so. In this tournament however there are only 28 players in the qualifying draw so the top four seeds received a bye into the second round of qualifying.
His opponent in the second round was a hot junior USA player, 17 year-old Mckenzie McDonald, who is coached by ex-South African player Wayne Ferreira and received a wild-card into the qualifying event.  Unranked in the ATP, Mcdonald is 17th in the Junior ITF World rankings, based on a limited schedule, so should be a handy player. Both players had a bad start, dropping their first serves in getting to 2-2. Greg then broke McDonald to lead 3-2. The lead was short-lived as McDonald broke back immediately for 3-3. The next game was a pivotal as Greg fought back from 40-15 down to bring up another break-point opportunity. He could not convert that opportunity but did on his fourth break-point of the game going 4-3 up, then holding serve to lead 5-3. He then broke McDonald again to win the first set 6-3.

Mackenzie MCDonald

Just when things were going well for Greg, McDonald rallied and started going all out on his shots in the 2nd set. Games went with serve to 3-3, then Greg, serving the last game with the old balls, was facing double break point at 15-40. He was unable to stop McDonald from breaking and taking a 4-3 lead. Both players held serve to get to 5-4 and Greg could not prevent McDonald from serving out the set and levelling the match at 1 set apiece.
Serving first in the third set Greg was forced to survive an early scare when he saved a break-point opportunity in the first game. McDonald had the bit between his teeth and was growing in confidence, holding serve with ease, games going to 2-2 on serve. Then McDonald got Greg to 15-40 and applied the pressure in an attempt to break. Greg scrapped his way back to deuce but then twice more faced break-points. He dug deep and saved those, eventually bringing up game point and holding serve to get to 3-2 up. Both players then held serve. With the score at 5-4 to Greg, McDonald serving at 40-15 looked set to even the score but Greg had other ideas, winning three points in a row to bring up a break-point, this time match-point. A very relieved Greg won the point, to win a closely contested and hard fought match 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and progress to the final round of qualifying.
Greg was nervous in his first match for three weeks, after his woes in China, but his experience and consistency in his serves counted in the end. McDonald's serve dropped to 39% in the 3rd set and Greg was able to take advantage of looking at a lot of second serves, and returned well enough to cause McDonald trouble.