Australia in the Summer 2017 - Burnie #2

Sunday in Burnie saw Greg waiting for the other matches to finish before taking to court in the late afternoon for the final qualifying round. Seeded No.4 Greg was up against another young Australian, 21 year old Jacob Grills, currently ranked 1033, but with a high rank of 529. Greg will have to serve well to be in this match.
And he did start well, holding serve to love, breaking Grills to love, then holding to love again, winning the first 14 points to go out to a 3-0 lead. Grills then managed to steady the ship, getting a few points on the board and winning the game to get on the board at 1-3. Then at 4-2, Greg stumbled, Grills forcing him to deuce, then breaking Greg on the third break point to get back on serve. Both players then held serve before Greg forced Grills to face set point at 4-5. Grills denied Greg, saving break point to level at 5-5, then going to the tie-break at 6-6.
In the tie-break it was Greg who got the first mini-break to change ends at 4-2. He the held serve and broke Grills again to have 4 set points at 6-2. But Grills had more to say, saving those points, denying Greg again to change ends at 6-6. Greg dug deep bringing up another set point st 7-6. Grills saved on his serve to level. Then Greg broke Grills to have another set point on his serve this time at 8-7, only for Grills to break back again to level to 8-8. Greg served to bring up his seventh set point at 9-8, this time breaking Grills serve again to win the tie-break 10-8, and the first set 7-6. Whew

Aussie Jacob Grills

After that hectic first set the serve stats of both players dropped to around 55% but games still went with serve until 3-2, Grills advantage. Then he forced Greg to defend three separate reak-points. Greg rose to the challenge, saving two, but was unable to prevent Grills from breaking, going 2-4 down in the process. Greg looked to be tiring as Grills raced to a 5-2 lead. Greg forced him to serve for the set by getting the score to 5-3. And he was not done in the set, breaking Grills to get back on serve at 5-4 and giving himself an opportunity to win the match in straight sets. He held serve with renewed vigour and then forced Grills to defend break-point at 5-5. Grills responded again though, denying Greg and winning the game to transfer the pressure onto Greg, forcing him to serve to stay in the set at 5-6. Greg recovered from 0-30 to get to game point but Grills levelled the score and brought up break-point, seizing the set point opportunity to win the set 7-5 and level the match at one set a piece.
So into the third set with Grills having the advantage of serving first, with new balls. But Greg had other ideas about that, attacking from the start of the set and breaking Grills, then holding serve to go 2-0 up. Greg then surprised Grills with some excellent serving, both players serving at over 70%, to only drop three points on his serve in the set, maintaining his break advantage over Grills to quickly get the score to 5-3. With Grills serving to stay in the set and the match, Greg applied pressure and forced Grills to 15-40, bringing up three set points. Greg gratefully converted at the first opportunity, winning the third set 6-3 and an eventful 2hour 35 minute match 76(8), 5-7, 6-3.
On reflection Greg could have won the first set a lot quicker after dominating the early part of the match and having six set points before thankfully winning the seventh, without giving up a set point against himself at the same time. He struggled to maintain any consistency and focus in the beginning of the second set, but was able to lift himself to challenge for the set in the latter stages, then was totally focussed and in the zone in the third, displaying good mental fortitude, resilience and a degree of match fitness after quite a long lay-off with injury.
And he qualified for the Main Draw for the singles.

Australia in the Summer 2017 - Burnie #1

After Auckland it was back to improving his fitness and constructive hitting for Greg. He also helped with some hitting with old friend, Brit Naomi Broady, who was playing in the Australian Open. Then it was off to the first of two Challenger tournaments in Tasmania, the first in Burnie, which had been the scene of two finals appearances for Greg, which must seem a lifetime ago for him, at least ten years on. This time though he was in the qualifying, not the Main Draw, so had some weekend work to get through.
Seeded No. 4, Greg first round opponent was 26 year old American Patrick Duriek, currently ranked 995 in singles. Serving first Greg got off to a good start, holding serve and breaking Duriek to get out to a 3-0 lead. Some good serving saw him carry his advantage through the set without giving a break point opportunity to the American, and winning the first set 6-3.
More good serving saw the score quickly get to 2-2 in the second set, then out of the blue, with Duriek serving at 30-0, Greg reeled off 8 points in a row to break Duriek and hold serve to love, to go a handy 4-2 up. He repeated the dose, again breaking Duriek to serve for the match at 5-2. A love game ensued for Greg to run out a 6-3, 6-2 winner.
First win of the year under the belt for Greg, which will help his confidence and give him more match practise, with the second round to be played on the same day. Not sure why...
His second round match was against a promising Australian teenager, 19 year-old Jake Delaney, already ranked a respectable 850 in the singles. With Delaney serving first, Greg again got off to a good start, breakin Delaney in the first game and holding to love to go 2-0 up. But Delaney hit back, holding serve and then breaking Greg to get back level at 2-2. With both serves dominating, games went with serve to the tie-breaker at 6-6. Greg was first to get an advantage, getting a mini-break on the first point, then serving only first serves in the tie-break, to effectively shut out Delaney and go 5-2 up. He then won the next two Delaney serves to pouch the tie-break 7-2, and the first set 7-6.
Serving first in the second set, Greg's serve percentage dropped, but he was still able to hold serve, then broke Delaney to go 3-1 up. Delaney fought back, getting Greg to deuce in the next game and forcing Greg to save two break-points, before Greg held dfor a 4-1 lead. At 5-2 up, Greg brought up match point on Delaney's serve but Delaney held firm, getting to 5-3 and forcing Greg to serve for the match. Which he did, winning the game to 15, to win the set 6-3 and a keenly contested match 7-6(2), 6-3.
Greg said he was pleased with getting two matches, with two wins under his belt.

Australia in the Summer 2017 - #1

Greg's plan for a solid off-season of fitness and training to be in top shape for the Australian Summer of 2017 were dashed in just his second week of his schedule when he suffered a small tear in his calf muscle, which required rest and physiotherapy. He was restricted to doing upper body training and swimming laps for fitness, not ideal in the tennis playing world. He started light hitting in the week before Christmas and was advised not to play at full pace until the New Year. He started running and had a few hitting sessions with Alex Vucic and Matt Barton in the weeks after Christmas and New Year and then headed off to the qualifying for the ATP250 tournament in Auckland last Thursday. Greg had managed to get into the qualifying draw, which is now limited to just 16 players, due to a number of late withdrawals.

His opponent for the first round was up and coming 18 year-old American Michael Mmoh, already ranked an impressive 197 in the ATP rankings, seeded No.3 for the qualifying. Greg's match was the fourth match on, and the Auckland breeze was pumping by the time the took to court in mid afternoon. With Mmoh serving first Greg started well, forcing Mmoh to deuce in the first game but unable to bring up break point, and then holding serve to love to level the score at 1-1. But Greg's lack of match practise of court time was soon evident, Momh holding easily and then breaking Greg to love to go 4-1 up. He broke Greg a second time to lead 5-1 and then serving out the set to love, 6-1.

USA's Michael Momh

Serving first in the second set Greg got to 40-15 quickly, but then was pegged back by Mmoh to face a break point. This time Greg was up to the challenge and saved break point and held serve to lead 1-0. He then forced Mmoh to face two break points at 15-40, but an ace and a good first serve and point by Mmoh denied Greg and Mmoh levelled at 1-1. He then broke Greg to love, returning exceptionally well as Greg served four consecutive first serves, to take the advantage at 2-1. Momh had the bit between his teeth now and the match unravelled quick for a rusty Greg, Mmoh breaking him twice more, despite Greg serving at a high percentage, to run out a 6-1, 6-1 winner.
Not the best match for the New Year for Greg, who was not at his best and quite underdone for the occasion. Much hard work still to be done after yet another injury. At least he was able to say that his mind and body came through the match ok.
Young Mmoh went on the qualify for the main draw of the tournament, beating former top twenty player Jersy Janowitz, also on the come-back trail after injury, in straight sets.
A brief Wikipedia overview:
"Michael Mmoh is a Saudi Arabian-born American tennis player of Irish and Nigerian ancestry. Mmoh is the reigning USTA junior national champion. He has won 1 ATP Challenger title and 4 ITF Futures tournaments, including his first at the age of 16."