Oz Summer 2012-13 #11

 With the Australian Open 2013 done and dusted the Australian Tennis circus moved along to the venue for the first Aussie Pro-circuit event of the year, the $50k Challenger in Burnie, in northern Tasmania, near Launceston. Greg has played at Burnie quite often, getting to the finals twice, the first time being in his first Challenger tournament of his career. One of the last acceptances due to his low ranking at the acceptance cut-off date, Greg was grateful he did not have to go through three rounds of qualifying and was determined to take any opportunity the draw threw up as his first round match up. With a swathe of Australians in the field, Greg surprisingly drew a foreign player, unfortunately the No.7 seed, 22 year-old Italian Alessandro Giannessi, currently ranked 238 but boasting a high ranking of 126 in April last year.
With Greg serving first games went with the server to 2-2. Greg then lost his next service game to the left-handed Giannessi, but then immediately had Giannessi at 15-40, converting on the second opportunity to level the score at 3-3. It was short-lived though, as Giannessi reversed the score-line and broke Greg to again lead with a break of serve, serving with new balls to get to 5-3 up. Greg held his serve but although he got Giannessi to deuce in the next game he could not prevent Giannessi from serving out the set 6-4.

A view of Burnie, Tasmania

Greg said Giannessi did not play as a leftie normally plays and it took him awhile, until midway through the second set, to figure out how he was playing. With Greg again serving first in the second set, games went with the server, both playing confidently to 3-3. Greg then held serve to love with the new balls for a 4-3 lead and then pressurised Giannessi to 15-40, again converting on the second opportuity to break Giannessi and lead 5-3. In a mirror image of the first set Giannessi forced Greg to deuce as he served for the set but Greg withstood the pressure and held serve, winning the second set 6-3 and levelling the match at one set all.
Giannessi had the advantage of serving first in the 3rd set and games went to 1-1, 40-15. greg then pegged Giannessi back to deuce and brought up break-point, converting to lead 2-1. Giannessi fought back but Greg held firm from deuce, to lead 3-1. At 4-2 Giannessi managed to save another two separate break-points, which would have given Greg a double break lead, to keep the score close at 4-3. With new balls Greg held for a 5-3 lead and then got Giannessi to deuce. Greg got the advantage and had match point on Giannessi's serve and broke Giannessi for the second time in the set, to win the set 6-3 and a hard fought match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, to advance to the second round.

Alessandro Giannessi


Greg said the match had started in realativel light wind, which increased quite a bit during the course of the match and then died down. He had struggled at first with Giannessi's "non-leftie" style of play and also with the older style Australian Open balls, which fluffed up quickly and got very slow. He countered Giannessi's style well in the latter part of the 2nd set and the 3rd set and maximised his opportinities with the new balls
when possible, and did not face a break-point in the 2nd and 3rd sets whilst creating six opportunities against Giannessi, converting three times.
Greg is playing doubles with James Duckworth but is scheduled to only play again on Wednesday.