American Summer 2016 - Granby #1

The Granby Challenger in Canada, was the next tournament for Greg. He had trained hard in Lexington whilst organising his travel, accommodation and more strings before departing for Montreal, the closest major city to Granby. In Montreal he had been able to train with fellow Oz Dayne Kelly and Canadian mate Filip Peliwo, having a few sessions on the courts at the Montreal WTA tournament, then travelling to Granby.

Venezuelan Luis David Martinez

Greg's opponent in the qualifying first round was peer 27 year old Venezuelan Luis David Martinez, currently ranked 789, a regular Venezuelan Davis Cup team representative. Both players dropped serve early in the first set, Greg's first serve percentage slowly improving to 50% as the set progressed. Serving first he had the advantage and he managed to break Martinez once more before serving out the set 6-3.
Greg said he started serving better in the second set, getting into a good rhythm in both his serving and his general play and was able to dictate play. He broke Martinez early in the set and then held serve to go ahead. A second break saw Greg take a stranglehold on the match, and he confidently held serve to lead 5-1. A third break of serve saw Greg win the second set decisively 6-1.
Greg said he had played well, getting in to a good rhythm and serving at around 73% in the second set, which reflected in the score-line, and his body had felt good throughout and after the match. Now for the second round of qualifying.

 

American Summer 2016 - Lexington #2

And a sterner test it was that faced Greg in the second round of the singles in Lexington in the form of the No.1 qualifying seed, 23 year-old Japanese Yasutaka Uchiyama, currently ranked 305, on a very hot day with an energy sapping 80% humidity.

Greg, serving first, was immediately under the hammer from Uchiyama, forced to fend off eight break points in the first three games. Uchiyama though did not have it all his own way, as Greg brought up two break points against him. But serving at over 80% Uchiyama held firm, and the both held serve to get to 3-3. Greg started holding serve easier despite serving at 50% but could not make any in-roads into Uchiyama's serve, still at an amazing 80%. Greg served to get to 6-5, just waiting for Uchiyama's serve to fade a bit, and then it did and Greg was straight in. Uchiyama served just three second serves, enough for Greg to get him to deuce and then bring up break-point, converting to break Uchiyama and snare the first set 7-5.ing the
Uchiyama hit straight back in the first game of the second set, forcing Greg to 15-40 but an ace by Greg helped him get back to deuce and then hold serve. The second set followed much of the pattern of the end of the second set, with Uchiyama serving at a high percentage and holding serve easily and Greg also holding well, despite serving below 50%, games going by quickly `to the tie-break a 6-6, in the lightning quick hot, humid conditions.

Yasutako Uchiyama

The tie-break started well for Greg, holding serve then breaking Uchiyama to lead 2-1. But he then dropped both his serves and Uchiyama levelled, then went ahead to lead and serve at 3-2 up. Greg then broke and they swopped ends even at 3-3. They then both held serve until Uchiyama brought up set point, but in serve with Greg serving at 5-6. Greg held and then brought up match point at 7-6, only to be denied by an Uchiyama first serve. Then it was Greg's turn to save set point again at 7-8 but he was unable to bring up another match point, Uchiyama breaking him to serve for the set at 9-8 up. And he was successful, winning the second set 7-6 and taking the match to a third set.
The tie-break was crucial for Greg, a "must-win", as he was feeling the effects of the hot, humid day and still struggling with a stiff and sore back. The third set was a set too far, with Uchiyama having the momentum and serving first. Uchiyama held and then immediately broke Greg, before holding serve again to race to a 3-0 lead. Greg fought back but Uchiyama got him to deuce and then brought up another break point, converting again to go a double break up at 4-0. Two games later it was match over, Uchiyama winning the set 6-0 and the match 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-0.
The first two sets were so close. Greg was just one point away from winning and was gutted at the result, but buoyed by his performance against the top qualifying seed.

American Summer 2016 - Lexington #1

Bronxville Field Club

Greg spent a few days in Bronxville, New York, guest for a few days of compatriot Eddie Bourchier, from Tasmania, who is currently coaching at the Bronxville Field Club, training and getting some much needed hitting before travelling to Lexington, Kentucky for the qualifying of the next Challenger tournament. And, thanks to South-West Airlines computer crash, which saw more than a 1000 flights delayed or cancelled, it was a real grind. Greg first thought something was amiss when he queued for almost two hours to check-in, then spent another hour getting through security, before eventually departing for Chicago, where he was to switch to a flight to Louisville. There he discovered, along with hundreds of other travellers, that flights had been cancelled and he joined the long, long queues to try and sort out a flight to his final destination. Almost three hours were spent queuing again before he was able to get on a flight, then managed to get an earlier flight through being on standby. Unfortunately, not only was he badly sleep deprived through the delays, but the long waiting in the queues had taken its toll on his back, and he arrived, at after 1am, in Louisville, where he had to stay overnight before driving to Lexington, with a very sore and stiff back. Also he was minus his bags and racquets, which were on his original delayed flight, which departed later than his flight.

Leftie Alex Lawson

His bags did arrive the next morning and he was able to pick them up before driving to Lexington, where he had managed to secure a billet through old friends at a horse stud farm. He managed to get a hit on the courts on Friday but was struggling with his sore back, which did not auger well for qualifying the next day.
A kind first round draw saw him avoid a seed, but was up against unranked American College player, tall big serving 22 year old leftie Alex Lawson, who could be a surprise packet. As it turned out Greg did have his serve broken in both sets, but managed to break Lawson twice in each set to record a workman like 6-3, 6-4 win.
So on to the next round of qualifying, where he will face a sterner test.  

American Summer 2016 - Binghamton #2

In the second round of qualifying in Binghamton Greg was up against the No.6 seed, 20 year-old College player Cameron Norrie from Great Britain. Ranked 422, South African born Norrie is having a stellar year, attending and playing for the Texas Christian University, reaching the last four in the NCAA Division 1 singles, and winning three Futures tournaments this year, so far, two of them in the past month in back-to-back tournaments. So very much in-form and full of confidence. It will be a stern test for Greg, on his stop-start come back to the Pro Circuit.

TCU player Cameron Norrie

The first set was a close affair, both players managing to break the other once each in the set, games going all the way to the tie-break. It was Norrie who got the early advantage with a decisive break. Greg was unable to break back, Norrie winning the tie-break 7-4 to pouch the first set.
The second set followed the first and again, after swopping a single break serve each, the set reached the tie-break at 6-6. Unfortunately it was again Norrie, perhaps with more confidence following 11 straight match wins, who got the lead in the tie-break and carried on to win the breaker 6-3 and a close match 7-6, 7-6.
Not the match result Greg was striving for but one from which he can take some confidence, given how close he had come to winning. He said that a few missed opportunities in both tie-breaks was the essential difference in the match. He had played well and his body had shown no signs of any problems, which is a positive.

American Summer 2016 - Binghamton #1

Seattle skyline

Greg headed for Vancouver straight after his loss in Kelowna, his sore shoulder foremost on his mind. He needed some time off to let any inflammation in his shoulder to get better and then to get back into training to be able to play for the rest of the summer. He decided to head for Los Angeles where he could get some help and training from his good friend Carsten Ball. He decided to travel via Seattle, just a few hours from Vancouver, which he had not visited previously and was keen to see. He managed to get a free hire car transfer taking a vehicle from Vancouver to Seattle, which helped the budget, and got to spend some time touring Seattle.The first week in LA was spent working on fitness, allowing his shoulder time to heal and then it was back to the courts for hitting and slowly getting back into serving. After a few good sessions and sets played against Carsten, by the time he left for the Challenger tournament in Binghamton two and a half weeks later, Greg was refreshed and raring to get back into action, albeit a bit apprehensive of how he would perform against quality opposition and how his shoulder had repaired.

Artem Khrapko

Still having to play qualifying with his ranking around the 685 mark, Greg was first match up on the Saturday, up against a young local College player, 20 year-old American Artem Khrapko, as yet unranked on the ATP tour. It was a good match for Greg to get started on the tour after a break to regenerate, and Greg was not troubled as he broke Khrapko at least once in each set to rack up a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win. He said he had played well and that his body and shoulder presented no problems during or after the match.
No doubt a tougher match will test him more tomorrow as he attempts to qualify.