Aussie Summer 2015-16 #2

The good news from the previous week’s match loss in Traralgon was that other from some normal post match stiffness Greg showed no signs of his litany of injuries, and was good to go for this week’s Challenger tournament in Canberra. Again the draw Gods were not kind, tossing up the No. 4 seed, old adversary and peer Brydan Klein, from Perth but now playing under the British flag. 26 year-old Klein had had his own issue over the years, with both behaviour and injury, but was this year enjoying a resurgence, attaining a high ranking of 169 in September, and currently ranked 178. A similar prospect to last week’s opponent, it was going to be another interesting challenge for Greg to test his level of tennis and match fitness.
Looking a lot trimmer than previously this year, Greg got off to a good start, holding serve easily in the first few games, but Klein was serving equally as well and led 4-3 at the change of balls. Serving with the new balls, Greg over-hit a few first serves, made a few errors and then quickly found himself staring down the barrel of a break-point. He was unable to defend it and Klein had a decisive break, serving for the set at 5-3, holding serve to snare the first set 6-3.

GB's Brydan Klein

The second set started inauspiciously for Greg, with a double fault getting him into difficulty in the first game, offering up three break-points to Klein at 0-40. Greg saved two of the break points before Klein succeeded in breaking Greg, to take control of the match, a set and a break up. A mammoth game at 1-3 down saw Greg go to deuce four times, saving break points and missing out on game points before Klein again prevailed, to take a stranglehold on the set at 4-1 and then go on to win the second set 6-2, and the match 6-3, 6-2.
Greg was pleased with his early performance but still has work to do on achieving match fitness, not surprising seeing how little tennis he has played over the last two years. He is able to match the better players’ tennis, his serving and groundstrokes, combined with some good play at the net, keeping him competitive at this level.
Greg is mulling over his options in the last three weeks of pro tennis this year, with Challenger tournaments in Japan or Futures tournaments in Wollongong or just working on his fitness and game until the new year.