Back in the Saddle - 20 August 2014

After an agonisingly long six months of recuperation and training, and having played only three matches since October 2013, Greg was finally back in a competitive tennis match. He had spent the last five weeks in Los Angeles, staying alternatively between friends Carsten and Guy, training at various tennis centres, mainly where Carsten coached, and continuing his rehabilitation, and was now champing at the bit to get back on the circuit.
His first tournament back was a $15k Futures Tournament in Winnipeg, Canada. For this tournament Greg had gained entry on his ranking as at the entry cut-off but may have to rely on his protected ranking of 317 for future tournaments.
The draw gods were kind to him for the first round, up against unranked 18 year-old Canadian Iancu-Lustinian Ghinda. Greg had a dream start to his come-back, rolling off the first seven games of the match, to win the first set 6-0 and lead 1-0 in the second set. Ghinda eventually got on the score-board but Greg snuffed out any thought of a rally by Ghinda, breaking him twice more in winning the second set 6-2, and winning a comfortable match 6-0, 6-2.
A good result for Greg, which will help his confidence and his match awareness. Just a question of how the shoulder responded to the rigours of competitive play. No doubt a sterner test will follow tomorrow.