Australasia Spring - End of Season

It was not the end of the season that Greg had planned nor wished for. Having won the Futures tournament in Sydney, the final five Challenger tournaments of 2013 beckoned with much promise. With the points gained from that win Greg had improved his ranking to a point where he was certain of main draw entry into all of the tournaments, with the possibility of being seeded for both the Traralgon and Yeongwol events. But fate was to determine otherwise.
Having complained of back stiffness and soreness during the Sydney Futures tournament, getting treatment from the ATP physiotherapist everyday, Greg was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his spine. All the more amazing that he was able to win that tournament and a testament to his fighting spirit and will to win. And no wonder he lost his first round match in Melbourne. Rest was the only solution and his first round loss in Melbourne provided the time for rest, before Greg began his preparation for the next tournament in Traralgon.
Then, in what can only be described as an unfortunate freak occurrence, Greg, whilst stepping up and around to get into a bench seat at dinner, twisted his knee with his full weight bearing down on the joint and causing a sublagation of the knee joint, resulting in a small tear in the tendons around the knee.
The pain was immediate and Greg was in no doubt that he could not compete in the tournament the following week.
He was out of the Traralgon tournament and after more treatment  and further assessment by the Tennis Australia doctor Greg was forced to withdraw from the Yeongwol tournament and subsequently out of the final two tournaments of the year.  The progosis was that it would take between four to six weeks for the knee to heal. Each week Greg has tried to play but has been unable to put his full weight and pressure on the knee, and thus has just continued with rest and therapy.
A pity, as the end of the season had promised much with Greg in good form. He would have been the 6th seed in Traralgon and seeded 8 in Yeongwol, and with favourable draws in both tournaments (which Matt Reid gratefully capitalised on in Greg's absence), he could have taken his ranking below 200 again.

But such is life in the world of tennis. It was not to be and Greg will now concentrate on getting his knee better and his body in top shape for next year and the Australian Summer of Tennis.