Oz Summer 2012-13 #24

In Sydney for the inaugural Challenger tournament to be held at the Olympic Tennis Centre at Homebush, it was doubles duty first up for Greg, who was playing with his good Canadian mate, 24 year-old Peter Polansky. They were up against the two in-form players of the Australian contingent this summer, Queenslander John Millman, who had excelled in the ATP250 in Brisbane and won the Challenger in Burnie, and the Northern Beaches' Matt Barton, who won the Challenger in Adelaide, both good friends of Greg.

Partner Peter Polansky

With Millman and Barton serving first games went with serve to 2-2, then Greg & Peter brought up two break point opportunities and concerted the second point at "sudden death" deuce to take a 3-2 lead and then held serve to consolidate the break at 4-2. At 5-4 up Greg sever for the set but their opponents hit back. Two returns to Greg's feet saw him volley up and the other capitalised, breaking back and levelling the set, games going to the tie- break at 6-6. Both teams held the advantage in the tie-break but it was Greg and Peter who consolidated and went ahead, winning the tie-break 7-4 and the set 7-6.

Matt Barton

Millman and  Barton were straight on the attack in the second set and broke Greg and Peter in the first game then proceeded to hold serve, games going to 5-3. They then again broke Greg and Peter again to win the second set comfortably 6-3.

John Millman

In the new shortended doubles format the 3rd set is a match tie-break only, first to ten points with a tw point advantage. Greg and Peter broke their opponents first serve but Millmand an Barton broke back immediately and raced to a 7-3 lead. Greg and Peter held their serves to get to 4-7, then 4-8, then broke to get to 5-8 with two serves to come. They held to get to 7-8. Barton served an ace to bring up match point at 9-7. Big serving Barton missed his serve and they were able to save and get to 8-9, still match point down but on their own serve. They held then brought up match point of their own 10-9, but on Millman's serve. He saved and levelled the score at 10-10. Greg and Peter then broke and led 11-10 with match point on their serve this time. They gratefully converted, winning the tie-break 12-10 and squeaking out a 7-6, 3-6, 12-10 win to advance to the second set.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #23

Aerial view of Melbourne Park Tennis Centre

Another beautiful day greeted the players at Melbourne Park for the quarter-finals of the Futures tournament. And it was the No. 5 seed, former top 100 player, 29 year-old Frenchman Stepane Robert, currently ranked 209, but with a high ranking of 61, achieved in 2010. Robert's ranking has fallen, ostensibly due to injury last year, just as Greg's ranking has, and he was playing the circuit in Australia to get his ranking back to its former heights. With no great serve but an economic, efficient style, great consistency and accuracy, with many years of experience, Robert would be a great foil for Greg's big game and will test his resolve.
Greg served first and Robert's flat game immediately had Greg under pressure and facing break point. Greg competently saved that point and held serve but on his next serve, serving into the sun for the first time, Greg faced another three break-points at 0-40 and this time Robert converted to lead 2-1 and 3-1. Greg fought back but a few wayward shots had him unable to keep the pressure on Robert. Robert capitalised, breaking Greg again to lead 5-2. He then confidently serve out the set with two aces, winning it 6-2.


Stephane Robert

Greg recharged and matched Robert in the 2nd set, holding serve and getting to 3-3. At 15-30 on Greg's serve, Greg hit an ace but it was called it out. Sportingly Robert over-ruled the call and said Greg's serve was an ace. On the very next point, de ja vue - an ace by Greg, again called out, again over-ruled. So instead of going from 15-30, to 15-40 and then break of serve game to Robert, due to Robert's sportingly conceding the aces and over-ruling the umpire, Greg was at 40-30 and held serve and led 4-3. A very nice gesture by the Frenchman, who would have gone ahead in the set. Robert held his serve and then pounced, breaking Greg to get the vital break and serve for the match at 5-4. Greg responded and hit right back, breaking Robert and levelling at 5-5. Robert was just as feisty and he was not to be denied. He broke Greg immediately and this time, given a second chance to serve for the match, took his opportunity and did so, winning the set 7-6 and a hard fought match 6-2, 7-5.
It was a match of missed opportunities by Greg and taken opportunities by Robert, who did not make many mistakes and put away the chance he created. Greg had served at a low percentage first serve and did not get the free points he needed from those serves he did make due to the heavier balls.
Greg will not play the Futures tournament in Mildura next week, which is on grass, but rather prepare for the hard court Challenger tournament to be held in Sydney the following week. His stomach strain appears to be repaired and he can get some much needed serve practise, something he has not been able to do for the past month due to the injury.
Stephane Robert went on to win the tournament.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #22



Outside courts at Melbourne Park

With the temperature up around 30 degrees celcius and a gusty breeze blowing Greg took to the court at Melbourne Park in the second round match of the Futures tournament against newly converted New Zealander, Russian born 27 year old Artem Sitak, currently ranked 547 in the ATP rankings. They have played each other once before, way back in 2007, when Sitak won in three sets, so Greg will be looking to reverse that result. The first set went according to Greg's script, with Greg having the better of the play and then getting the vital break and serving out the set, winning the set 6-3.

New Zealander Artem Sitak



In the second Greg let a few close calls by the umpire get to him and let it disrupt his concentration and focus. After missing out on breaking Sitak, Greg then lost his serve to trail a break. He battled hard and got Sitak to break-point again, but again Sitak, playing a better game in the second set and another perceived close call, was able to hold. Again Sitak was able to apply pressure on Greg, whose focus was not on his game, breaking Greg again to win the set 6-1, and level the match at one set all.

Greg took time to compose himself at the end of the set and began the third set re-focussed, with much improved body language and movement. Sitak was still playing at a good level but Greg was able to counter and eventually broke Sitak, to take a vital lead in the set. He held serve to consolidate the match, and continued on to win the set 6-3, and a topsy-turvey hard fought match 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Not the best display mentally by Greg, who let conditions get to him but, with the help of some encouragement from hitting partner Bidders, he was able to pull himself together, re-focus and play well enougth to win the match.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #21

It was back to Melbourne Park this week for the Australian Pro-tour,
for an ITF Futures $15k event, a quantum step-down from the Challenger tour. It has, however, almost the same competitors playing as in the last two Challenger Tournaments, so is a strong field for a Futures event. The players having opted to stay in the country in order to play the Challenger event in Sydney at the end of February, so are playing this event.
Greg's opponent in the first round needed no introduction, as it is a player Greg has seen across the net quite a bit, larger than life 25-year-old Australian Sam Groth. Greg leads the Pro-circuit head-to-head 3-0 but their last meeting was a close 7-6, 7-6 affair.

Fastest-server 263 Sam Groth

Groth started serving first and Greg was immediately on the attack, breaking Groth to lead 1-0. Groth was having trouble with his risk and had an injury time-out straight after that game. On the resumption Greg consolidated the break. Groth was clearly experiencing some pain whilst playing but it did not stop him sending down some bombs and was able to hold his serve, games going with serve to 4-2, before Greg managed to break him again to lead and win the set 6-2.
After some more attention for his injury Groth continued in the second set but after Greg broke him again to lead 2-1, he decided enough is enough and retired from the match, giving Greg the victory.
A hollow win for Greg but he does advance to the next round, to be payed on Thursday.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #20

Greg was playing on the last day of the Westlakes Tournament, which meant that he was in a final, which has been a long time coming, even if it was the doubles final. Greg and James faced up against fellow Aussies Sam Groth and Matt Reid. Ironically Greg, Sam and Matt had been housing together in housing in Adelaide for the week and now faced each other across the net again, having played against each just last week in the first round in Burnie, Sam and Matt victors then.
Both teams were unseeded and there was little to pick between the teams, all players having big games and big serves, with Sam the leader in that department. James led the proceedings off, serving first and quickly had three game points at 40-15 (in the sudden death decue format), but they were unable to convert and at deuce Groth and Reid seized their opportunity and broke serve, to lead 1-0.

Big serving Sam Groth

Groth held serve, consolidating the break, and games went with serve to 4-2. A shanked return lob winner saw Groth and Reid force Greg to deuce on his serve again broke at deuce to lead 5-2. With Reid serving for the set Greg and James returned well to get Groth and Reid to 0-40 and have four break point opportunities, but Reid held firm and got back to deuce and then converted the sudden death point to win the first set 6-2. Greg and James had served the better but their opposition, with a bit more luck, had taken the opportunites and won the set.

Matt Reid

At 1-1 in the second set, on Greg's serve and with three good 1st serves, a return winner and two good lobs from Groth and Reid, both of which dropped on the base-line had Greg and James scrambling and facing three break points at 0-40. Greg and James were not able to save the break and fell 1-2 behind. Reid consolidated the break and James then held serve before the applied the pressure on Groth's serve presented Greg and James with break-point. James was unable to return a good second serve from Groth who then hit an unreturnable 1st serve to stay ahead at 4-2. Games then went with serve to 5-4, with Reid serving for the match. Greg and James kept the score close but at 40-30 Reid was able to convert the first match point, to win the match 6-2, 6-4 and take the doubles title.

Greg & James at the trophy presentation

Greg and James were obviously disappointed with the result. They had served better than their opponents but had not been able to take the opportunities the created. Groth and Reid had returned well and had kept the pressure on Greg and James, playing the clutch points better and getting more of the luck required to win these matches.

Oz Summer 2011-13 #19

The doubles semi-final in Westlakes had Greg and James Duckworth up against the also unseeded pair of Canadian Peter Polansky, who Greg defeated in the singles, and New Zealander Michael Venus, who beat Greg in the ATL finals at Melbourne.

Greg volleying

Their opponents pitched up physically but perhaps not mentally and, despite them serving well, it was James and Greg who raced to a 5-0 lead. Polansky and Venus saved a break-point to avoid the bagel and then broke Greg and James, but it was the Aussies who won the first set 6-3.
The second set followed the same pattern, Greg and James breaking their opponents twice to get to a 4-0 lead. They then held serve competently, to win the set 6-2, winning the match 6-4, 6-2 and advancing to the finals of the doubles. The final will be played on Sunday.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #18

The quarterfinal round of the singles at Westlakes presented an interesting but tough and unpredictable opponent for Greg in the form of the Australian Open Junior Champion for 2013, young Australian 17 year-old Nick Kyrgios, from Canberra, already ranked 843 in the ATP rankings. Kyrgios is flush with his success in the Juniors, now ranked as the No. 1 in the world, is tall with a strong build for a junior player, and has a big game with a huge serve, and full of confidence with nothing to lose will be able to swing freely and go for his shots, a bit of an unknown for Greg to face.

Australian Open Junior Singles Champion 2013

And Kyrgios came out swinging, breaking Greg in the first service game, despite Greg serving four first serves. Greg fought back, bringing up break-point on Kyrgios' serve but Kyrgios was able to save and hold serve, to consolidate the break. Greg held and so did Kyrgios before Kyrgios again broke Greg to lead 4-1, with a double break. Greg rallied and brought up break-point on Kyrgios' serve and this time converted to get back to 5-2. But Kyrgios came out swinging again and broke Greg again to lead 5-2. Not to out-done, with Kyrgios serving for the set, Greg forced Kyrgios to 15-40, but Kyrgios saved both of those points before Greg again brought up break-point and this time was succesful, getting back a break at 3-5, then holding serve to force Kyrgios  to again serve for the set at 5-4. With the bravado of youth, given a second chance, Kyrgios served out the game to love, winning the first set 6-4.

Greg plays a backhand

Greg held his first service game of the second set as did Kyrgios. Then Greg had two game points but could not convert before Kyrgios brought up a break point, converting to lead 2-1, then 3-1. Greg then saved two break points from 15-40 and held serve, to keep the score close at 2-3. Greg was again forced to save two break pints in a long deuce game, before again holding for 3-5. Games went with serve to 5-4, with Greg unable to make any in-roads on Kyrgios's serve, with Kyrgios serving to close to 80% and winning most of those 1st serves. Then, with Kyrgios serving for the match and still serving well, Greg saved match point and forced Kyrgios to deuce and then broke him, to unexpectedly level the match at 5-5.
One would have thought the lesser experienced player in Kyrgios would now start to have doubts and back off a bit, but he did not. He came on even forced Greg to 0-40 and broke him again, to lead 6-5 and have another chance at serving out the match, which he did with aplomb this time, winning the set 7-5, and the match 6-4, 7-5.
Greg said he had not played badly and that Kyrgios  was just swinging at everything and they were landing. It was difficult to counter with Kyrgios who was serving at such a high percentage, and although Greg served well, at 60%, Nick had returned even better, going for his shots with success. A pity for Greg who is in good form but not able to serve at his best with a slight stomach muscle strain. Hope he recovers soon.

Oz Summer 2012-13 #17

Another view of Westlakes

Following his two hour long singles match, and after a warm-down and a quick lunch, Greg had to prepare for their second round doubles match at Westlakes, Adelaide. Opposing him and partner James Duckworth were the Japanese pairing of Hiroki Moriya and Yuichi Sugita. Sugita is the No.1 seed in the singles, ranked 140 and Moriya is the No.2 seed, ranked 174, so both can play a bit, but how would they go in doubles?

Greg & James

Games went with serve to 2-2, to the Aussie team, before they forced the Japanese pair to 15-40, which in the sudden death format, presented three break points. But the Japanese were able to fight back and hold serve, games going to 3-3. The Aussie then broke to lead 4-3, serving out the set 6-4.

Yuichi Sugita

With Greg and James serving well, with 4 aces in their first two games, they put the pressure on their higher ranked opponents, breaking to lead 3-2, then holding serve and breaking again to lead 5-2. 

Hiroki Moriya

The Japanese pair were not done and broke back and then held serve themselves to get to 4-5 and put the pressure back on the Aussies to serve for the set and match, for the second time. This time the Aussies rose to the challenge and won the game, winning the set 6-4 and the match 6-4, 6-4, to progress to the semi-finals of the doubles.

A good day at the office for Greg with two wins on the day.