American Summer 2016 - Vancouver #3

 The second round of the doubles in Richmond, Vancouver had Greg and Finn Tearney up against the British/USA pairing of 22 year old Farris Fathi Gosea and 23 year old Tim Kopinski, ranked 634 and 915 in the doubles respectively. Normally a draw Greg and Finn would relish but Greg was struggling with form and confidence and Finn was a bit tired from his three set singles match which he had played, and won, earlier in the day.


Leftie Farris Fathi Gosea

They started confidently but failed to convert a game point and then lost the deciding point at deuce on their second serve and fell a break behind. They stayed close to their opponent, but could not make inroads onto their service games, taking the score to 2-4. Gosea and Kopinski then broke Greg and Finn again to serve for the set at 5-2. Greg and Finn fought back, forcing them to deuce and deciding point but again their opponents won the point, wining the set 6-2.

Tim Kopinski closes at the net

After holding serve in the second set Greg and Finn created a double break-point opportunity but their opponents again denied them getting the score back to deuce and the winning their third deciding point to level at 1-1. Luck was on their side and they compounded Greg and Finn's frustration by hauling Greg and Finn back from 40-15 to deuce in the very next game, then again converting deciding point to go a break up. Again Greg and Finn got back into the match, having another opportunity to break, only for their opponents to save and win another deciding point to extend their lead. The scenario was repeated next game, Greg and Finn again having their opponents at deuce, only for the deciding point to go the way of Gosea and Kipoinski. They then broke a dispirited Anzac team to go 5-2 up and served out the set 6-2, to win a match of plenty of chances not taken by Greg and Finn, 6-2, 6-2.
A disappointing tournament for Greg all round, who is creating plenty of chances in his matches, both in the singles and doubles, but not converting those chances, which puts pressure on his service games. Something he will have to dig deep and work on in the coming weeks.