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.

American Summer 2016 - Kelowna #2

Kelowna Parkinson Recreation Centre

In the singles in the Kolowna Futures Tournament, Greg's run of favourable draws came to an end and he was up against the No.4 seed, Canadian Peter Polansky, winner of last week's Futures tournament in Vancouver. An old adversary and good friend of Greg, 28 year old Peter is also coming off a period of injury and is attempting to play his way back up the rankings, currently ranked at 341 with a high rank 122 in 2014, and doing a good job of it. Greg and Peter had played each other three times in the years past and Greg held a 3-0 record against him, with three very tough 3 set wins. Todays match will be as equally tough and strongly contested, but with Polansky the favourite due to current form.

Canadian Peter Polansky

With Greg serving first, the first three games were decisive. Firstly, in a long first game Greg had multiple games points and saved a few break points before losing his serve, 0-1. He then had break point on Polansky's serve but Polansky denied him, 0-2. Then from 40-0 up Greg got pegged back by Polansky, who won the next five points to gain a double break 3-0 lead. It so could have been 3-0 in Greg's favour. Polansky then held to love, to lead 4-0, before getting Greg to 0-40. Inexplicably, Greg then won the next eight points in a row, holding serve and getting Polansky to face three break points at 0-40. This time Greg managed to convert, getting back a service break, then holding to go to 3-4. However, the effort had taken it's toll on Greg's right shoulder and he had a medical time-out to get some attention. After that it was a different story in the match, with Greg not being able to risk further injury, so not going flat out on his serve. Polansky capitalised, holding serve and then breaking Greg again to win the first set 6-3, and also serve first in the second set.
The second set though was basically a non-contest, Polansky showing his current form on serve to repel Greg's efforts to break him, then picking off Greg's serves, breaking Greg's serve each time, to run out the 6-0 winner of a quick second set, winning the match comfortably in the end, after a torrid first set, 6-3 6-0.
Greg said although he lost he had played his best tennis in this American Summer so far, but his shoulder had hampered his serve and was a problem. He had a good session with the physio after the match which helped quite a bit, the shoulder feeling a lot better and will have some more treatment tomorrow, before deciding how to approach the next few weeks after a good sleep.
 

American Summer 2016 - Kelowna #1

Still in Canada, Kelowna was the next stop for Greg, and first up was the doubles, partnered this week with American Raymond Sarmiento, ranked 409 in the doubles and seeded No.4 for the tournament. Their opponents were Frenchman Sebastien Boltz and Israeli Edan Lesham, ranked 881 and 1136 respectively.


Partner Raymond Sarmiento

Greg and Raymond got off to a good start breaking their opponents in their first service game, to lead 1-0, then went on serve to 3-1 up, then lead 4-2. Boltz and Lesham were working their way back into the match and broke Greg and Raymond to level at 4-4. They denied Greg and Raymond a deciding point break opportunity to lead 5-4, then won deciding point in the next game to pouch the set 6-4.

Israeli Edan Lesham

Greg and Raymond hit back im the second set, again breaking their opponents at the start of the set, but were then themselves broken to give back the advantage. They stuck to the task and managed to break their opponents again, maintaining the advantage to the end and winning the second set 6-4, to level the match and take it into the third set match tie-breaker, first to 10 points.

Frenchman Sebastien Boltz

It was a slow start for them though, Boltz and Lesham winning the first three points, going 3-0, then 4-1, and 5-2 up. But Greg and Raymond did not give up, pegging the score back to change ends at 6-6. Both teams held serve to get to 8-7, Greg and Raymond leading. They then broke to lead 9-7 and have two match points, one on their opponents serve and one on their own serve. Boltz and Lesham  held their serve then cruelly broke Greg and Raymond twice, firstly denying them the win and then setting up match point on their own serve. Greg and Raymond were not done though breaking back and swopping match point opportunities until serving at 13-12 in favour of Boltz and Lesham. And this time their opponents broke to steal the match away, winning the tie-break 14-12, and the match 6-4, 4-6, (14-12).
Another match of chances created and not taken for Greg and his partner. They should have gone on with serve in the first set, but serving at only 50% were unable to do so. They did well to get back into the match, win the second set, recovered in the tie-break but just did not have the luck to win the match points created. Another close match for Greg.

American Summer 2016 - Vancouver #3

 The second round of the doubles in Richmond, Vancouver had Greg and Finn Tearney up against the British/USA pairing of 22 year old Farris Fathi Gosea and 23 year old Tim Kopinski, ranked 634 and 915 in the doubles respectively. Normally a draw Greg and Finn would relish but Greg was struggling with form and confidence and Finn was a bit tired from his three set singles match which he had played, and won, earlier in the day.


Leftie Farris Fathi Gosea

They started confidently but failed to convert a game point and then lost the deciding point at deuce on their second serve and fell a break behind. They stayed close to their opponent, but could not make inroads onto their service games, taking the score to 2-4. Gosea and Kopinski then broke Greg and Finn again to serve for the set at 5-2. Greg and Finn fought back, forcing them to deuce and deciding point but again their opponents won the point, wining the set 6-2.

Tim Kopinski closes at the net

After holding serve in the second set Greg and Finn created a double break-point opportunity but their opponents again denied them getting the score back to deuce and the winning their third deciding point to level at 1-1. Luck was on their side and they compounded Greg and Finn's frustration by hauling Greg and Finn back from 40-15 to deuce in the very next game, then again converting deciding point to go a break up. Again Greg and Finn got back into the match, having another opportunity to break, only for their opponents to save and win another deciding point to extend their lead. The scenario was repeated next game, Greg and Finn again having their opponents at deuce, only for the deciding point to go the way of Gosea and Kipoinski. They then broke a dispirited Anzac team to go 5-2 up and served out the set 6-2, to win a match of plenty of chances not taken by Greg and Finn, 6-2, 6-2.
A disappointing tournament for Greg all round, who is creating plenty of chances in his matches, both in the singles and doubles, but not converting those chances, which puts pressure on his service games. Something he will have to dig deep and work on in the coming weeks.