The first round of the Main Draw of the singles in An-ning had Greg avoiding a seed, up against 25 year-old Austrian Bastian Trinker, currently ranked 266, with a high rank of 241. A winnable match, however Trinker, being from Austria, would be used to playing at altitude and also the clay court surface, so will be a stern test.
Greg did not start serving well but was still able to hold serve, whereas Trinker was serving well and games went with serve to 4-4, Greg's first serve percentage slowly improving. He could not get into Brinker serve games though, as Trinker was serving at over 80%. At 5-5, Greg then forced to break point at 15-40. He rose to the challenge, saving both points and getting to deuce, only for Trinker to get the advantage and break Greg, to take a decisive 6-5 lead in the first set. He confidently stepped up and served out the set, with two aces, winning the set 7-5.
The second set started well for Greg and games went with serve to 1-1. Greg then faced break points at 15-40 but dug deep, served and played well and won the game to get to 2-1. Trinker was not going to give Greg a sniff and sent down three aces, holding to love to level at 2-2, sending Greg a message.
Again Greg faced double break point and again he fought back to lead 3-2. Greg was getting into a rhythm now and started the games better, but he could make no in-roads into Trinker's serve, games going with serve to the tie-break at 6-6. Both players were serving well, Greg at 65% and Trinker even better at 75%.
In the tie-break it was Trinker you got the first break, to go 2-1 them 3-1 up, changing ends at 4-2. Greg then broke back to get to 4-3, then level at 4-4, then 5-5. It was Trinker who had the first set point (and match point) at 6-5, but on Greg's serve. Greg held both his serves to bring up set point on his serve at 7-6, breaking the Trinker serve to pouch the tie-break 7-8, and win the set 7-6, taking the match to a third set.
After the tie-break it was Trinker who had the advantage of serving first in the third set, but his serve was not as solid as in the previous two sets. He held and then forced Greg to a long deuce game, Greg saving another break point to get to 1-1. In contrast Trinker was serving at below 50% and Greg at over 75%, and at 1-1 Greg was able to bring up his first break-point opportunity on the Trinker serve,
But in another long deuce game Trinker was able to hold. He steadily improved his serve percentage, and Greg held firm, playing catch-up on the score each serve, games eventually going to 6-5, Trinker ahead, with Greg serving to stay in the match. Trinker pegged him back to 30-30, then brought up his second match point, but again Greg saved, winning the game to take the third set to the tie-break at 6-6.
This time it was Trinker who served first, and he immediately applied the pressure to break Greg to lead 2-1, then holding serve to go 4-1 up, then getting a second break to lead 5-1. Greg held for 5-2 but could not deny Trinker from serving out the tie-break 7-2, to win the third set and a closely contested match 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-6.
Greg was gutted, after fighting so hard, against a player who lives and plays at altitude, to lose the match. He was happy with his game but could not get a read on Trinker's serve on the slick clay courts. Trinker closed Greg out in the first two sets by serving at a high percentage. Greg had played the better tennis, on his serve and most of Trinker's second serve but fell just short on the day.
Greg did not start serving well but was still able to hold serve, whereas Trinker was serving well and games went with serve to 4-4, Greg's first serve percentage slowly improving. He could not get into Brinker serve games though, as Trinker was serving at over 80%. At 5-5, Greg then forced to break point at 15-40. He rose to the challenge, saving both points and getting to deuce, only for Trinker to get the advantage and break Greg, to take a decisive 6-5 lead in the first set. He confidently stepped up and served out the set, with two aces, winning the set 7-5.The second set started well for Greg and games went with serve to 1-1. Greg then faced break points at 15-40 but dug deep, served and played well and won the game to get to 2-1. Trinker was not going to give Greg a sniff and sent down three aces, holding to love to level at 2-2, sending Greg a message.
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| Austrian Bastian Trinker |
In the tie-break it was Trinker you got the first break, to go 2-1 them 3-1 up, changing ends at 4-2. Greg then broke back to get to 4-3, then level at 4-4, then 5-5. It was Trinker who had the first set point (and match point) at 6-5, but on Greg's serve. Greg held both his serves to bring up set point on his serve at 7-6, breaking the Trinker serve to pouch the tie-break 7-8, and win the set 7-6, taking the match to a third set.
After the tie-break it was Trinker who had the advantage of serving first in the third set, but his serve was not as solid as in the previous two sets. He held and then forced Greg to a long deuce game, Greg saving another break point to get to 1-1. In contrast Trinker was serving at below 50% and Greg at over 75%, and at 1-1 Greg was able to bring up his first break-point opportunity on the Trinker serve,
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| Trinker. at home on the clay |
This time it was Trinker who served first, and he immediately applied the pressure to break Greg to lead 2-1, then holding serve to go 4-1 up, then getting a second break to lead 5-1. Greg held for 5-2 but could not deny Trinker from serving out the tie-break 7-2, to win the third set and a closely contested match 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-6.
Greg was gutted, after fighting so hard, against a player who lives and plays at altitude, to lose the match. He was happy with his game but could not get a read on Trinker's serve on the slick clay courts. Trinker closed Greg out in the first two sets by serving at a high percentage. Greg had played the better tennis, on his serve and most of Trinker's second serve but fell just short on the day.
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