Australian Summer - West Lakes #1

After returning from Burnie Greg consulted with the Tennis Australia's doctor about his troublesome shoulder injury. After examination and some rudimentary testing the prognosis was that in the Doctor's opinion there was no structural damage and the problem was just continuing inflammation which needed a prolonged period of rest, with no tennis or stressful use, to recover. The Doctor said that if Greg so desired he could play West Lakes in Adelaide then have a period of recovery, as after this Challenger there were only a few Futures tournaments in Australia and Greg could have the time to recover then. Greg was hoping for another good draw, as he received in Burnie and perhaps to win a round or two and gain valuable points. So off he travelled to Adelaide to compete again with a less than adequate service action.

Aerial view of Westlakes, Adelaide

Greg was seeded No. 8 for the tournament and did receive a good draw, wild card teenager, 18 year-old Tasmanian Harry Bourchier, brother of Eddie who played on the juniors with Greg. Currently at his highest ranking of 1223, Harry is one of the aspiring young Australians just starting out on the circuit and Greg would be confident of winning this match, if 100% fit.
The weather gods delivered a shocker for the first day of play, the wind blowing through at 35kph with gusts of 50-60kph, not conducive to good tennis and it showed on the court, both players battling to cope and balls flying to all corners, with plenty of shanked and missed shots.
With Bourchier serving first, games went to 2-2, with a few double faults thrown in by both players. Greg then broke Bourchier but was then forced to 15-40 himself. He managed to rescue that game to go 4-2 up. At 4-3 Greg was forced to 15-40 but again saved the break with a string of good first serves, saving three break points in a long deuce game, to maintain his advantage at 5-3 up. Greg then had a break point/set point on Bourchier's serve but he was unable to convert and Bourchier held serve to get to 5-4. He then broke a faltering Greg, who served two double faults in the game, to level the game at 5-5. Greg never gave up and in another long deuce game, again broke Bourchier to give himself another chance to serve for the set at 6-5 up. But four second serves and another double fault saw Greg facing 15-40. He saved one break point but was unable to save the second, the set levelled at 6-6.

Tasmanian Harry Bourchier

In the tie-break there were double faults and breaks of serve aplenty, but it was Bourchier who won the crucial points at the end of the tie-break, winning it 7-5 and with it the first set 7-6.With Greg serving first in the second set games went to 1-1, when Bourchier broke Greg to love, with Greg really struggling with his serve in the wind. Greg then took an injury time out and had some massage on his troublesome shoulder. He came back fighting and broke Bourchier to level at 2-2. But he still could not serve well and in another long deuce game again lost his serve, to trail 2-3. He again fought back, earning another break point but this time Bourchier saved and held serve to lead 4-2, games going with serve to 5-3. Greg needed to hold serve to force Bourchier to serve for the match but he was unable to, saving one match point before Bourchier prevailed, winning the game, set and match 7-6, 6-3.
Video taken on the way to the match.
Greg was not happy. He had gambled on getting a good draw to win a round or two but the weather had made the task of serving even harder, the games longer than he planned and he said that his shoulder had got sore and his arm felt like it was falling off. He is going back to Melbourne immediately and is going to rest the shoulder, with no tennis for at least two weeks and work with the physios to get his shoulder right and his fitness back to where it should be before playing again.