USA in the Autumn 2016 - Las Vegas #4

In Las Vegas, the final round of qualifying had Greg up against the No.1 seed, young 22 year-old Brit Lloyd Glasspool, currently ranked 292. It was a match that Greg would not see as insurmountable, having accounted for Glasspool in qualifying a few weeks ago. It would just depend on the toll the combined 5 hours of tennis of the first and second rounds of qualifying had taken on Greg's body and how much gas he would have in his tank at the end of the match. By comparison Glasspool had a bye in the first round and a straight sets win in the second round.
In slightly less wind than the previous days, which slowly died as they played, both players had break point opportunities in the first set. Greg said he just did not have any luck on his two opportunities and frustratingly was not able to break Glasspool. He saved a couple of break points against him, but unfortunately was not able to save the third break point, handing the advantage to Glasspool, who won a close first set 6-4.

Brit Lloyd Glasspool

The second set saw more high quality tennis, with Greg again creating two break points of serve opportunities but again was frustrated in his attempt to break, the score going with serve to 4-4, then 5-5. Glasspool then forced Greg to 30-40, and a chance to break and take a decisive lead in the match, but Greg denied him this time, to get to 6-5, forcing Glasspool to serve to stay in the set. Greg won the first point but Glasspool responded to win the game and take the set to the tie-break at 6-6. 
With both players serving and playing well there were no mini-breaks early on, the score progressing to 5-5 on serve. Greg then got a timely break to bring up set point, on his serve, at 6-5. After serving five first served in the tie-break he missed his first serve and with the pressure, pushed the second serve long, double-faulting, to hand the break back to Glasspool, changing ends at 6-6, instead of sitting down to a third set. Glasspool took immediate advantage breaking Greag again to have match point on his serve at 7-6, converting the opportunity to win a close fought long match 6-4, 7-6(6).
It was an untimely double-fault for Greg, but there was no guarantee he would have gone on to win. He said he was feeling the strain of the previous two days long matches, so a third set would have bee n a real struggle, especially against a player who had played a lot less. Greg said the match was of a high quality, he had served well (at a high 74%), and played well, so was happy with his overall performance- just has no luck on the break-point opportunities he had created.
A good weekend, with two tough wins and a close loss but his almost 7 hours of tennis produced no points and no money. It's a tough gig qualifying...