Australasian Spring - Kuala Lumpur #2

Waiting for Greg in the second round of qualifying was the No.1 seed ,35 year-old American Michael Russell, currently ranked 97 with a high ranking of 60 achieved in 2007. In a rematch of their final in Manta, Greg's resolve will again be tested against a very consistent baseline player who wears his opponent down with unerring accuracy, relying on creating errors rather than hitting outright winners.

Michael Russell serving

Russell served first and both players held serve confidently. Then at 2-1 Russell forced Greg to 15-40. Greg responded and saved those points but could not get to game point, saving another three break points before Russell managed to break Greg and lead 3-1. Greg hit back immediately in the next game, Russell having to save two break points to get to deuce but then being unable to save again, Greg breaking him to get to 2-3, then holding for 3-3. Russell held to love then brought up set point on another breakpoint on Greg's serve. Greg saved and brought up game point, but Russell was not to be denied and broke Greg, to lead 5-3. He then served out the set to win the set 6-3.

Greg plays a fore-hand

Greg started the second set serving at 20% but still managed to hold before he surprisingly broke Russell to lead 2-0. Improving his serve percentage all set Greg held for 3-0, then applied pressure on Russell, breaking him again to lead 4-0, with a double break. Two aces in the next game saw Greg progress to 5-0. Greg would have loved to break Russell again to seal the set and serve first in the third set but Russell held for 5-1. He then got Greg to 0-40 and broke Greg, to peg back one service break and get to 5-2. Greg again responded and broke Russell again to win the set 6-2 and level the match at one set all.

Russell showing the pressure

As in the final in Manta this match was going all the way again, this time with Greg serving first. He started well but at 30-15 in the first game missed a mid court put-a-way off fore-hand shot which instead of going for a winner, hit the top of the net and Russell pounced to win the point. 30-30 instead of 40-15. He then broke Greg to lead 1-0. Greg fought back in the next game, bringing up two separate break points but Russell saved both and held serve for 2-0. Greg held for 2-1 then forced Russell to 0-40, breaking on the second opportunity to level the score at 2-2.

Russell at full stretch

Unfortunately the next game was a mirror of that game and Russell broke Greg to love, to again take the ascendency to lead 3-2 with a break advantage. Greg bounced back immediately and broke Russell again to level at 3-3, games then going to 4-4. Russell then brought up breakpoint on Greg's serve. Greg saved to get to deuce, then his advantage, but could not close out the game, Russell again breaking Greg to lead 5-4 and serve for the match. Greg was not done, getting Russell to 0-40 and three chances to break back. Russell responded saving all three points with some good serving and then brought up match point, and after a long rally won the set 6-4 and a long hard fought match 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. More disappointment for Greg, in another close match against a top 100 player, having opportunities to go on and win the match. He had not served to the best of his ability and had made errors at critical times, to take the pressure off Russell and allow him to sneak away with the win.
Greg will now return to Melbourne for a couple of weeks training before playing the Australian circuit in October.

Australasian Spring - Kuala Lumpur #1

 

From Kaohsiung, Taiwan Greg was off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to play in the qualifying rounds of the 250 ATP tournament to be held there next week. He had agonised of whether to go there or to Bangkok and decided that KL was the better option.

He made the cut for the draw and received a good first round draw, up against 23 year Kevin Kung from Hong Kong. King, an ex-USA collegiate player and graduate works in a full-time job as a trader at an investment bank and only plays tennis part-time, but did represent Hong Kong in the Davis Cup in April 2012 and is currently ranked at 1473 in the ATP. 

Leftie Kevin Kung

Serving first Greg easily held serve, then pounced on Kung's serve, breaking Kung, then held again to lead 3-0. He repeated the dose to lead 5-0. Kung, desperate for a game brought up a game point, but Greg hit back, bringing up set point and converted to win the first set 6-0, and the right to serve first in the 2nd set. 

Greg in Kuala Lumpur

Greg won the first game of the second set and then pressurised Kung again but this time Kung held his nerve and his serve, saving breakpoints to win his first game. Greg held serve for 2-1, then broke Kung, and held serve again to lead 4-1. Well behind now, Kung started hitting out, getting to 40-15 but again Greg upped his game and in a long five deuce game he broke Kung for a second time in the set to lead 5-1. Kung was not done though, and with nothing to lose attacked and broke Greg, who had dropped his intensity to get to 5-2. Then in another marathon deuce game Kung held serve for a second time and narrowed the core to 3-5. Greg was now tightening up but he held his nerve enough to serve out the set 6-3 and win the match 6-0, 6-3

A competent performance from Greg in a match he was expected to win, in a kind draw. But was the draw kind? In his second round match he is up against the No.1 seed, who had a bye through the first round and will be fresh to play.

Australasian Spring - Taiwan #2

 The second round of the $125k Challenger in Kaohsiung, Taiwan threw up a difficult challenge for Greg. Although Greg had beaten a high ranked seeded player in the first round and now faced an unseeded lower ranked player, it was his peer and Australian mate, 24 year-old John-Patrick Smith, a player against which Greg struggles due to his game style, and to whom Greg has lost in his last two encounters. Currently ranked 232, with a high ranking of 210, ex-four time All American college player Smith has an unerringly accurate serve and a never miss non-attacking game which wears his opponents down, especially on a hot and humid 32 degree day.

Leftie JP Smith plays a backhand

Greg started the proceedings and struggled to get his first serve firing, quickly going 15-40 down and facing two break points. He saved one but Smith converted the second opportunity, going up an early break in the set and forcing Greg to play catch up. Greg tried to fight back but Smith was serving too well, at over 75%, and Greg was unable to make any in-roads into his serve. Greg's serve percentage improved and he was able to stay with Smith, games going to 5-4, with Smith serving for the set. His good serving continued and Smith won the game and the set 6-4.Greg's serve percentage continued to improve but unfortunately for him Smith's level did not drop off, and he was hitting his spots, making it difficult for Greg to apply any pressure. At 4-3 up Greg did get Smith to 0-30 but four good first serves saw Smith snuff out that threat and win the game to go 4-4. Both players had not faced a break-point in the set yet, but it was Greg who did so first, as the heat started to take it's toll on the players, forced to defend a break-point at 30-40 in his next service game. He saved that point and brought up a game point but a double fault saw him back to deuce. Smith then brought up another break-point and Greg could not save it, dropping serve to trail 4-5. Smith stepped up to serve out the set, and the match, his first serve still firing, to win the set 6-4 and the match 6-4, 6-4.
A disappointing result for Greg who had played so well beating a seed to get to the second round and had a real chance to go further. He said the hot, humid conditions were stifling and oppressive and he felt it difficult to move. He said he does not recall the middle portions of both sets and was lucky not to suffer from heatstroke, as did Michael Russell and another player Na, who both retired from their matches. Still Greg did earn 10 points, in the never-ending quest for points, to be in a good position to start the season next year.

Australasian Spring - Taiwan #1

After a few days rest and relaxation in Sydney, followed by 10 days training in Melbourne, with Dave Bidmeade, hitting with Andrew Whittington, James Lemke and Dayne Kelly at various times, it was off to Kaohsiung, Taiwan for a $125k Challenger tournament. With only 13 points to defend until the end of the season, Greg will be looking to defend those points, and then build on his ranking, all dependant on the draw and winning matches of course.
His first round opponent was the No.5 seed, 29 year-old American Rajeev Ram, currently ranked 118, with a top 100 high ranking of 78. A tall player with a big, accurate serve, it will be a tough match for Greg, who will have to serve well to match it with Ram.
On a very hot, humid day, at around midday, it was Greg who served first holding serve, then taking games to 2-2 on serve. Ram then brought up a break point opportunity but Greg was up to the challenge, and denied Ram, holding serve for 3-2. Greg was serving the better of the two players, at around 80%, with Ram at just 50%, and it told in the next game, Greg breaking Ram to lead 4-2, then holding serve for 5-2 lead. Ram held serve and at 5-3 Greg served for the set. In what was to be a marathon game, Ram forced Greg to deuce four times, Greg saving three non-consecutive break points before eventually winning the game, to win the set 6-3.

Rajeev Ram at US Open 2013

Serves dominated the second set, with Ram serving first and Greg under pressure to hold playing catch -up to stay level, games going with serve to 3-3. Then, with Ram serving the last game with the old balls, Greg upped the ante, forcing Ram to 15-40, and converting the first break point opportunity to break Ram and lead 4-3. Greg now needed to hold serve twice to win the match. He battled his nerves taking the score to 5-3, then served out the set at 5-4, to win the set 6-4, and the match on the first match point 6-3, 6-4.
Greg said it was "Silly hot and I got thru in straight, did a great job today. Played awesome, really  happy with myself."
His serve percentages were high, at 66%, with a high win ratio. He also returned well, breaking Ram once in each set, at the only break-point opportunities he created. On his own serve he saved four break points in the first set but did not face any in the second set.
Greg will have a day off tomorrow, and only plays his second round match on Wednesday.