Launceston, just two
hours from Burnie in Tasmania was the venue for the next Challenger tournament.
Greg, seeded 3 in qualifying, was up against hot junior Australian 16 year-old,
Matthew Dellavedova, who has already attained an ATP ranking. Greg will have
been confident of a win going into the match, except that he had picked up
inflammation of the left patella during the previous week, which had not
disappeared as he hoped after a days rest.
Greg put Dellavedova
under early pressure but was not able to bring up a break point opportunity and
Delladedova held serve. Games went with serve to 3-3, despite Greg serving at
well below 50%. Dellavedova was then able break Greg, going up 4-3, then
fending off Greg's attempts to fight back, to go 5-3 up. Greg held for 5-4,
then took an injury time out to have his left knee taped. He returned more
confident in his movement but was unable to prevent Dellavedova from winning
the set 6-4.
After some more treatment during the set break Greg came out with renewed energy and movement, serving four first sets in winning the first service game, then breaking young Dellavedova easily to go 2-0 up. But he was unable to keep up the momentum and Dellavedova hit back, breaking Greg in getting back level at 2-2. Greg battled on, but with his knee not getting better and hindering his movement, he decided that prudence was required, and with the score at 4-3 in Greg's favour, and he retired from the match.
Greg was naturally disappointed but could see no point in perhaps doing even more harm to his knee, whilst unsure if he could finish the match, or backup the next day and the rest of the week, with the chance of being off for an extended period. The on-site physio backed up his decision, saying he was worried that Greg was going to damage his knee further. He advised Greg to take a week off then test his knee before starting light training. So ends his Tasmanian tour this year.
Greg took himself off on a drive past Wine Glass Bay, then along the coast to Hobart, a city he had never been to despite 10 years or so of playing tournaments on the northern Tasmanian coast. He stayed overnight being a tourists, even visiting the "MONA" Museum, before flying back to Melbourne.
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| Junior Matt Dellavedova |
After some more treatment during the set break Greg came out with renewed energy and movement, serving four first sets in winning the first service game, then breaking young Dellavedova easily to go 2-0 up. But he was unable to keep up the momentum and Dellavedova hit back, breaking Greg in getting back level at 2-2. Greg battled on, but with his knee not getting better and hindering his movement, he decided that prudence was required, and with the score at 4-3 in Greg's favour, and he retired from the match.
Greg was naturally disappointed but could see no point in perhaps doing even more harm to his knee, whilst unsure if he could finish the match, or backup the next day and the rest of the week, with the chance of being off for an extended period. The on-site physio backed up his decision, saying he was worried that Greg was going to damage his knee further. He advised Greg to take a week off then test his knee before starting light training. So ends his Tasmanian tour this year.
Greg took himself off on a drive past Wine Glass Bay, then along the coast to Hobart, a city he had never been to despite 10 years or so of playing tournaments on the northern Tasmanian coast. He stayed overnight being a tourists, even visiting the "MONA" Museum, before flying back to Melbourne.
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