Malisse Makes Easy Work of Greg
Rusedski's 2001 tennis year is over after a defeat by the Belgium youngster, Xavier Malisse. The match seemed to be going well with Greg's serve firing and winning his first to service games with ease. Rusedski forced Malisse in the twelfth game but could not convert any of the three break points. The tie break was totally dominated by the Belgian and Rusedski started to look down. In the second set, the raw talent of Malisse was evident as Greg looked increasingly unlikely to create a come-back. This will be the Brit's last competitive match of the year and he can now look forward to a break before heading out to Australia in early January.
Mirnyi Makes it Another Early Exit
Greg's disappointing indoor season continued as he was knocked out in round two by Max Mirnyi of Belarus. Unfortunately for Rusedski, Mirnyi was in top form after beating Kuerten, Sampras and Kafelnikov in Stuttgart last week. The Belarussian maintained his 100% record against Rusedski, having beaten him in their only previous meeting last year at the Indian Wells. The first set was decided on a tie break after both players had set points. Mirnyi clinched the breaker and went on to take the match with relative ease.
Rusedski will now hope that he can end his season on a high in the Paris Masters Series beginning next week.
Rusedski Returns To Winning Ways
Greg has finally managed his first win of the indoor season after beating the Russian, Andrei Stoliarov. The last time the pair met was at Tashkent last year where Rusedski was beaten in three sets. However this meeting was very different as the Brit quickly began to look comfortable and was serving well. The Russian had no chance against Greg who seemed to be finding his form after two first round defeats in previous weeks. After the match Rusedski said: "I'm pleased with the way I played. Finally my serve worked again today and I was also moving well and hitting the ball well."
Rusedski will now face Novak or Mirnyi in the second round. Both men will provide a massive challenge as Novak, the Czech, beat Greg only two weeks ago in Vienna, and Max Mirnyi was a finalist in Stuttgart last week beating Sampras on the way.
Back To Birmingham......
Great Britain have drawn Sweden in the first round of next year's Davis Cup. The tie will take place on February 8th, 9th and 10th. The British boys will have the advantage of playing at home in Birmingham. The National Indoor Arena will once again stage what is bound to be a fantastic weekend of tennis. Although winnable, the tie will be far from easy for Tim and Greg. Sweden boast many top players such as Enqvist, Johansson, Bjorkman and Norman. For ticket information see home page.
Boutter Gets Better of Greg
For the second time in two weeks Greg has failed to make it past the first round. This time he lost to French qualifier Julien Boutter. The Frenchman, ranked 64th in the world, played well and did not let Rusedski into the match. Greg must now concentrate on stringing some wins together in St Petersburg next week.
Novak Gives Greg No Chance
Greg's Indoor season did not get of to the best of starts when Jiri Novak from the Czech Republic won their first round encounter. Rusedski, who won the title two years ago, never put any pressure on his opponent.
Greg said: "I played my usual indoor hard court match but this is even slower than clay " Rusedski started a bad day for the Brits in Vienna as Henman failed to defend his title losing to Canas in three sets. Both will now head to Stuttgart and hope for better luck in the Tennis Masters Series that starts next week.
DAVIS CUP: FRIDAY
Great Britain lead Ecuador 2-0 after day one.
Greg won the opening rubber for Britain, beating Nicolas Lapentti in four sets.[2-6 6-2 7-5 6-3] Both players seemed affected by tension but it was Rusedski who held his nerve to put Britain ahead in the five-match tie. Afterwards Greg made of point of saying how the team "Want to get our revenge because we were really disappointed to lose in London."
Tim Henman then came out and produced a solid straight sets win over Luis Morejon.[6-4 6-2 6-2] Britain's top player was never in real danger against the lowly ranked player.
: SATURDAY
Tim and Greg once again teamed up for the doubles rubber of the tie. They faced the Lapentti brothers who beat Tim and Arvind Parmar 14 months ago on number one court. From the first point it was obvious that this years result was likely to be somewhat different. Although Giovanni tried his hardest to spur his brother on, Nicholas never looked happy and took a long injury time out. The match progressed with the British pair growing in confidence while the large, and normally loud, Ecuador crowd watched in disbelief. The British pair took the match in three straight sets [6-2 6-3 6-4]and consequently placed Britain in the top 16 nations of Davis Cup tennis.
U.S. Dream Over For Another Year
After a poor display, Greg has crashed out of the US Open to Mariano Zabaleta. Rusedski's first serve was not working well and the Argentine over powered the Brit with relative ease. Although Greg managed to force four sets, Zabaleta always appeared the more dominant player and allowed Rusedski only two points in the final tie break.
Greg will now spend a week in the states visiting relatives before flying down to Florida to join the rest of Team GB in preparation for their match against Ecuador. The team, picked by Roger Taylor, consists of Tim Henman, Greg Rusedski, Barry Cowan and Martin Lee.
Roaring Rusedski Battles Past Bjorkman
On a windy day in New York Rusedski played his second round match against Swede, Jonas Bjorkman. The pair have met nine times before with the Swede leading the head to head 6-3. After opening with an ace and then breaking his opponent in his first game, the Brit looked comfortable. Game seven saw Greg go down 0-30 but with his serve firing he recovered. As Greg served for the set, the Swede came up with some outstanding shots and broke back. However Greg held his nerve and took some risks in the twelfth to break and take the first set.
Set two went the same way as the first with Rusedski dominating and creating more opportunities than his opponent. Greg was pushed in the opening game of set three and this was a sign of things to come as Bjorkman began to put the pressure on. Nevertheless Greg managed to find the answers to every question the Swede asked of him and after failing to take the opportunity to close the match out, the set went to a tie break. Despite several fantastic shots by the Brit, Bjorkman won the breaker 10-8 and Greg picked up a warning for racket violation.
Rusedski went into the fourth set angry with the umpire and himself. Bjorkman broke Greg in his first game and looked like making a dramatic come-back. The Brit struck a ball that accidentally hit a line judge and was given a point penalty for dangerous play. A furious Rusedski demanded that the supervisor come onto court and after the penalty was upheld he remained furious. After what he believed had been a harsh ruling, Greg took a while to compose himself but did so just in time. The set went to a tie break and Rusedski managed to control his aggression to win 8-6.
The match lasted three hours and twenty minutes and was one Greg will not forget. He served 23 aces compared to Bjorkman's 5 and served 6 double faults compared with Bjorkman's 11. The Brit will now face Mariano Zabeleta in round three.
Solid Start For Greg In The States
Greg opened his US Open bid on the Grandstand court that the day before had seen Tim Henman come through a five set battle on the winning end. Rusedski was facing an unknown quantity in Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui as the two had never previously met. Greg lost his first service point but quickly got into his stride and had a 1st serve percentage of 62% in set one. Both players coped well with the humid conditions and the opening set went to a tie break. El Aynaoui came from a mini-break down to win it 7-4.
Rusedski became a lot more positive in sets two, three and four. In the second he wasted several chances to stamp his authority on the match before finally breaking El Aynaoui in the twelve thanks to a double fault from his opponent. From there the Brit looked solid as his opponent made more mistakes allowing Greg to close out the match in just under three hours.
Andre Too Good For Greg
Once again America's Andre Agassi has battled past Greg in a close fought match. The Brit managed to take the first set before losing the next two on in tie-breaks. Rusedski will now look forward to the US Open a venue which is possibly his best chance at winning a grand slam title.
Lapentti Left On Losing End
After a tight first set that looked like it could go either way, Rusedski managed to clinch the tie break 8-6. From then on the Brit dominated and progressed to the quarter finals with relative ease. His next opponent will be Andre Agassi. The pair last met only a few weeks ago in Los Angeles. Rusedski managed to push the American to three sets but will be hoping to come out on the winning end in this time.
Boutter Beaten
Julien Boutter proved no match for Greg as the Brit swept past the Frenchman in straight sets. The win allows Rusedski to progress to the third round of the Legg Mason Classic in Washington where he will face Ecuador's Nicholas Lapentti. The match could be an interesting pointer as to how the GB v Ecuador Davis Cup tie will go.
Washington Win
With a break in the opening game, Rusedski quickly asserted his authority in his first round match against Markus Hipfl of Austria. Greg was making his first appearance at the Washington tournament and breezed through the first set to take the lead. Set two was a much closer affair as Hipfl began to get to grips with the Rusedski serve. Nevertheless the set went to a tie-break where the Brit produced some strong serving to take it 7-2 and progress to round two.
The Cincinnati Tennis Masters Series
Greg's first opponent was Germany's David Prinosil. Ranked 83rd in the world, Prinosil forced three sets but could not find a way past Rusedski. It was expected that Andre Agassi would progress and once again face Greg in round two. However the Argentine, Gaston Gaudio had different ideas and beat the American to set up a clash with Greg. Rusedski refused to throw away the opportunity of a more open draw and moved into round three by winning two tie-break sets. Awaiting him was Stefan Koubek. The Austrian had no answer to Rusedski's excellent serving leaving Greg to reach the quarters, where he would face Patrick Rafter, with relative ease.
Pat Rafter has always proved a tough task for Greg and the Australian had won 6 of their previous 9 encounters. The pair always have close matches and the quarter final at Cincinnati was no different. Rusedski clinched the first set but eventually came out on the losing end after a fine display of tennis which was appreciated by the crowd. Greg earned 25 points at this event and moved himself to number 26 in The Champions Race.
Montreal Tennis Masters Series
Unfortunately Greg's appearance at this event lasted for only one round. Spain's Carlos Moya defeated Rusedski in three sets. The score line was the same as Greg's last defeat and left the Brit to hope for better luck the following week in The Cincinnati Tennis Masters Series.
Agassi Battles Past Brit
Andre Agassi has prevented Greg from progressing further with a three set win over the British player. Rusedski fought hard against the American and managed to take the middle set but in the end Agassi proved the stronger.
Srichaphan Despatched By Greg
Greg has made a good start to the hard court season with a convincing win over Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan. Rusedski never faced a break point on his serve and hit 14 aces on the way to his victory. Rusedski now faces either wild card, James Blake or Andre Agassi. Greg said of the latter: "If I play Andre in the second round, I'll know more about my form, I think he's one of the best hardcourt players in history." The last time the two players met, Greg beat the American, taking the title in San Jose.
Goran Grinds Greg to A Halt
Rusedski's Wimbledon dreams were quickly ended for another year as Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic defeated the Brit in straight sets. Greg was playing a big server who always does well at SW19 and has never lost to Rusedski. This accompanied with the fact that the match was to be played on Court One, the scene of Greg's 2000 nightmares, left a far from easy task.
A close first set went all the way to a tie breaker, however the Croat took control from this point forward. Greg was rattled by Ivanisevic's serve and as the aces were slammed down Rusedski became more despondent. At one point Greg clearly demonstrated his frustration by giving his racquet to a ball boy in the hope that he could do a better job. The match never lived up to the closely fought contest that the crowd had hoped for and Rusedski left Court number one as the loser of his fourth round encounter.
Nevertheless, a year ago Greg's career was in ruins and his body in pain. Whilst he hides away in a secret holiday resort until the end of the Championships he must be thinking how far he has come since those painful battles of 2000. One thing is for sure, Greg may be out of Wimbledon 2001 but he will be back and that world famous grin will return.
Greg Crushes Spanish Seed
Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain was the latest player to be beaten by Greg in his bid to win the 2001 Wimbledon crown. The eighth seed made a promising start by breaking Rusedski in his first service game. However Greg soon took control of the match and broke three times to seal the first set in 23 minutes. As the match continued the Brit's domination became ever more apparent and a single break in sets two and three proved decisive. Rusedski served well and said "I don't think I've ever done better that I did in the first set so I was very pleased." Juan Carlos Ferrero also praised Greg's performance and believes the Brit "Can go all the way"
Goran Ivanasevic is next on Greg's list having taken out the young American star, Andy Roddick in round three. The pair have met eight times before and Greg has never managed to win the battle of the big servers. Nevertheless with Rusedski hitting top form in perfect time there is no doubt it will be a close encounter.
Rusedski Eases Past Byron Black
On Court Two today, Greg progressed to the third round with an easy straight sets victory. From the first point Greg looked much more confident and comfortable on
court than in his first round match against Pavel. Ground strokes were hit with authority and angle. With three breaks of serve Rusedski comfortably took the first set.From then on the match remained very one sided. Greg continued to hit fluid
ground strokes and volleys throughout the next two sets. His serve was on
top form leaving Black struggling to make any serious impact. The Brit continued to dominate the match and broke more than once in sets two and three to seal a comfortable win in three sets.Rusedski played confidently and was in top form allowing Black only a single break point in their entire encounter. Speaking after the match Greg said "I think you can get too much tennis." "In the past I'd go out of the media conference and glue my eyes to the BBC coverage until it finished. Now I intend to just chill out, watch a movie, maybe go out for a meal with friends." This relaxed attitude paid off today and Greg will be hoping it does the trick in his next match against Juan Carlos Ferrero. (Match Summary Written With Input From Roy Mat)
Greg's Campaign For Wimbledon Glory Begins
Greg has started his 2001 Wimbledon campaign with a win over Romania's Andrei Pavel. From the moment the players stepped onto court it was obvious to Greg and the centre court crowd that Pavel was not a player who was around purely to make up the numbers. Aces and powerful first serves denied Pavel any hint of a break and the first set went to a tiebreak.
Although Greg did not appear 100% confident throughout the set, he quickly took the
tiebreak thanks to steady nerves and a double fault by his opponent.
The second set continued the way of the first. Pavel showed frustration as he struggled to return Greg's serve. Another tiebreak and Greg quickly lost a service point. Pavel hit a volley wide with Rusedski completely out of court and for a moment it looked as if the mini-crisis was over. It was not to be. Pavel grabbed another point from the Ruesdski service and the set went to the Romanian to level the match.
In the third set Rusedski's serve was strong but his ground strokes looked awkward and restrained. He was soon broken and forced himself to come back from 5-3 to force another tiebreak. With the home crowd getting behind him, Rusedski dominated the breaker and took it 7-1.
In the fourth set Greg began to assert his authority on the match. He was in complete control with a sprinkling of confident volleys and groundstrokes. He broke Pavel twice and the crowd roared with pleasure as Greg produced several fantastic shots. Rusedski finally closed out the match in 2 hours 36 minutes. He will now face Byron Black in the second round.
Johansson Eases Past Greg
Swede, Thomas Johansson progressed to the final after beating Greg in straight sets. Set one went to a tie break which Johansson claimed 8-6. The Swede then claimed the next four games and although Rusedski took three of the following five, Johansson was too strong and booked a place in the final against Harel Levy.
After the match Greg commented: "I'm not disappointed. It would have been nice to have been in the final but in retrospect I can't say I'm disappointed to have the extra day off." Rusedski will open his Wimbledon bid on Monday. His first round match against Andrei Pavel will be third match on centre court.
Martin Lee No Match For Greg
Fellow Brit, Martin Lee found it impossible to find a way past Greg as he produced an impressive show to progress to the semi finals in Nottingham. The 27 year old did not get off to the best of starts but survived as Lee failed take any of the five break points he created. Rusedski made the crucial break in game six and took the first set in just over half an hour. The British number three never looked in a winning position as Greg broke twice in the second set and sealed a confident straight sets victory.
After the match Greg praised his opponent, saying: "He came up with some great returns and the first set could have gone either way." Rusedski will now face Thomas Johansson who beat the big serving, Wayne Arthurs in the quarter finals.
Rusedski Survives Schuettler Scare
Greg's Wimbledon preparations are still on track after a hard- earned second round win over Germany's Rainer Schuettler. The two men had never met on the ATP tour before and both were looking for a win to build up confidence for the start of Wimbledon next week. The first set was fairly even with both men getting to grips with their opponents games. The set went to a tiebreak which Rusedski stormed through, not allowing the German a single point. A single break was enough to allow Schuettler to take set two and put himself back into a winning position. Neverthless, Greg was un-phased and stormed to a 5-2 lead in the third. The Brit's game deserted him as served for the match, allowing his opponent to level at 5-5. The set went to a tiebreak and for the fourth time in two days Greg came out on the winning end.
Greg Triumphs In Gambill Clash
Rusedski has beaten the top seed, Jan Michael Gambill in the opening round of the Samsung Open in Nottingham. The players could not find a way to break each other in set one but Rusedski took the tie break 7-5. A service break finally arrived in the fourth game of set two where Greg found a way past the American's serve. However Gambill broke back to force a second set tie break which Rusedski dominated and won 7-1.
After making nonsense of the Wimbledon seedings where Gambill is 12th seed and Greg unseeded, Rusedski will now progress to round two where he faces Germanys Rainer Schuettler.
Hewitt Ends Greg's Run At Queens
Defending champion, Lleyton Hewitt swept Greg aside in straight sets to set up a semi final clash with Pete Sampras. The young Australian produced a quality performance and was too strong for the Brit. Rusedski lost his first service game and in set two several crucial errors gave Hewitt an opportunity to record victory. Greg saved one match point and despite hitting a serve measuring 144mph the Australian progressed with relative ease.
Greg will now move to Nottingham to finalise his preparations for Wimbledon. Once again the Brit has a tough draw facing top seed Jan Michael Gambill in the first round.
Rusedski Eases Past Voltchkov
Vladimir Voltchkov from Belarus was the surprise semi-finalist of Wimbledon 2000, however facing Rusedski today he gave the British crowd nothing to worry about. The number eight seed never looked in control against a Briton whose game was at its best. Greg's first break came thanks to a double fault from his opponent and then he produced some excellent passing shots to break again in the seventh. Voltchkov, who has only won a single match since February, served several double faults gifting Greg two more breaks in the second set. Rusedski consequently ran away with the match producing some fantastic shots and excellent movement around court.
Delgado Defeated
Greg has proved victorious in his second clash with another Brit in as many days. Today he defeated British number four, Jamie Delgado in straight sets. Despite being broken in his first game, overall it was a confident performance by the twelfth seed. Rusedski won five consecutive games to go one set ahead. In the second, a single break proved decisive.
After the match Greg revealed how pleased he was at his form compared to this time last year. He said: "It's great to go out there and be able to play. Last year I got really down losing to players you feel you should not be losing too and it was very, very difficult."
Greg Wins All Brit Clash
A return to the green courts of Queens Club has brought victory for Greg against fellow countryman, Arvind Parmar. The pair had only met once before, at Wimbledon in 1999, where Greg emerged victorious in straight sets. Rusedski choose to start today's match by serving and he quickly put his improved serve into action. Despite not having played ATP tournaments for several months, Parmar responded well. He consistently played to Greg's backhand and gave Rusedski few chances. Consequently the set was decided on a tie break and Greg eventually took it on his fourth set point.
Parmar ran away with the second set as Greg's serve failed him. Nevertheless, Rusedski fought hard to deny Parmar any chances in the third and made his best return of the set to break in the sixth game. From there on Rusedski played aggressively and completed the victory in 127 minutes. Greg now faces another Briton in the form of Jamie Delgado.
Santoro Roars Past Rusedski
Frenchman, Fabrice Santoro has sent Greg crashing out of the French Open 2-6 7-6 3-6 5-7. Santoro, nicknamed 'the magician' produced some magical tennis and after taking the Brit's first service game, he looked on his way to an easy win. Nevertheless, Rusedski came from a break down in set two to clinch the tie-breaker. Unfortunately it was a short revival and with Greg making many un-forced errors, Santoro soon took control again. The Frenchman successfully served for the match on his second attempt and went onto beat Marat Safin in the following round.
After the match Greg congratulated his French opponent and said the day had been: "positive if disappointing" The Brit talked of returning home in preparation for the grass court season. When asked of his chances over the coming weeks he commented: "I'm looking forward to the grass court season and I'm playing well" Greg can next be seen from June 11th at the Stella Artois tournament in London.
Portas Pushed Aside by Greg
Greg has produced one of his best displays on clay to beat the Hamburg Masters champion Albert Portas. Greg began dominating toward the end of set one and took the lead after producing a some stunning volleys. However Portas was not phased and stormed 5-0 ahead in the second set, leaving Greg to win an incredible seven games in a row to go two sets up. The third set saw Rusedski begin to gain more confidence on his least favourite surface and he ran away with the set 6-1.
After the match Greg said: "I know my game is getting better. I have got to get better for the Davis Cup match against Ecuador." Greg now goes onto face French hopeful Fabrice Santoro.
Corretja Ends Greg's Hamburg Bid
Spain's Alex Corretja once again displayed his clay court talents this time with a win over Greg. Rusedski made a positive start creating two early break points, however failure to take either left the Spaniard dominating. Corretja never looked troubled in his service games and took the set 6-3. The opening game in set two saw Greg pushed to deuce before taking the game. The set then went with serve until the seventh game when some poor serving gifted the Spaniard a crucial break. Corretja found no trouble in closing out the match to set up a second round clash with Nicholas Lapentti.
Ferreira Too Strong For Greg
South Africa's Wayne Ferreira has put an end to Greg's run in Rome. Ferreira, who went into the match having lost all five previous encounters, evidently had the superior clay court skills. Rusedski was broken in game nine of set one and it never looked like a recovery was likely. Greg did not play poorly but he continued to be outclassed as he was broken again in game five of set two.
Greg said after the match "I thought Wayne played very well. He was very solid and made only one mistake." Ferreira will now face Safin's conqueror, Roger Federer.
Rusedski Wins In Rainy Rome
Greg has made a good start to the Masters Series event in a very damp Rome. The match finally got underway at 14.15 BST after the rain caused delays. Both players found difficulty in getting to grips with the weather conditions. However Greg settled quicker than his German opponent and broke in the fourth game. Despite Prinosil creating two break points, Greg served well to take the first set.
Set two saw both players continuing to struggle with poor conditions and form. A mis-timed backhand and two double faults by the German in game five handed Rusedski the break. After which, the Brit seemed to get to grips with his game and broke once more before convincingly serving for the match. Greg will now face either Ferreira or Hrbaty.
Guayaquil The Scene For Davis Cup Revenge Mission
The Ecuador team have chosen Guayaquil's biggest venue, The Club National, for the September play-offs. Team GB will face a tough task playing away on clay against a nation who beat them last year on grass at Wimbledon. Tim and Greg will undoubtedly be looking for revenge after the embarrassment that last July's loss caused, nevertheless the Ecuadorians appear confident for another victory.
Pavel Proves Too Strong For Greg
Greg has never won a match in Monte Carlo and a first round defeat by Romania's Andrei Pavel left that record unchanged. Rusedski only managed a first serve percentage of 51% and failed to take the opportunities he created in the first set tie-break. The Brit faltered while serving for set two and allowed Pavel to take the match 7-6 7-5. Nevertheless Greg was optimistic saying: " I am feeling better about the clay court season than I have ever done" He has swapped Britain for Barcelona for the next couple of weeks allowing him to train with some of the top clay court players and go running in the mountains.
Rusedski Ends Association With Pat Cash
Greg has ended his partnership with Pat Cash after the Australian made 'unreasonable' demands for money. The former Wimbledon Champion requested 10% of all Greg's future prize money, a demand that Rusedski refused. Greg said that Cash did not draw up a contract with him and he emphasised that he did not want to be paid. Instead his association with the Brit was meant to be used to promote his academy. Rusedski offered to pay Pat for the time he has spent working with him, but after the Australian refused the pair went their separate ways in less than amicable circumstances.
Davis Cup World Group Qualifying Draw
Great Britain will have to overcome Ecuador if they wish to return to the World Group in 2002. This meeting will provide Team GB a chance for revenge after they were embarrassingly defeated last year by the Ecuadorians. The ties will be played on September 21-23
Davis Cup - GB Beat Portugal 5-0
Great Britain have moved one step closer to moving back into the world group after beating Portugal. Tim Henman opened the tie by beating Tiago Vinhas De Souza in one hour and 18 minutes. Greg then took to the court to beat Emanuel Couto 6-3, 6-7, 6-1, 6-2.
On Saturday the British pair teamed up to form a winning partnership securing the tie after a 6-1 7-6 7-6 victory over the Portuguese doubles team. Greg said: "Tim, myself and Roger - the whole team - are just very happy that we have won this tie. Now we can look forward to the next tie."
On Sunday, Tim and Greg were rested allowing Lee Childs and Martin Lee to make their Davis Cup debuts. They did so in stylish fashion completing a 5-0 victory for team GB over the Portuguese.The draw for September's world group qualifying tie will be made later this week.
Miami Misery For Greg
Greg has joined fellow Brit, Tim Henman being beaten in round two by Germany's David Prinosil. Rusedski was never able to get on top of his first serve and quickly crashed to a 6-3 6-2 defeat. Greg said described his opponent as having: "Weeks when he's on fire"
Greg is expected to return home to prepare, with the rest of the GB team, for the Davis Cup tie. The event takes place on April 6/7/8.
Rusedski Destroys Massu
In their first ATP encounter, Greg appeared a convincing winner over Chile's Nicholas Massu. A confident Rusedski wasted no time brushing aside the twenty two year old, 6-4 6-1. Greg will now face David Prinosil of Germany who had a bye in round one.
Rafter Too Strong For Rusedski
Pat Rafter has beaten Greg in the first round of the Masters Series in Indian Wells. The Brit never looked in control and could not come up with the necessary goods needed to worry the Australian. Set one easily slipped away 6-3 and after being broken in his opening game of the second set, Greg looked increasingly unlikely to pull off another fantastic victory. Rafter was in devastating form and with quick court movement he found no trouble in breaking again and sealing the victory 6-2.
Greg will now be looking toward the Miami Masters Series tournament and hoping for a kinder draw.
Greg Withdraws from Gambill Clash
Greg Rusedski has pulled out of his second round match due to back spasms. Greg said that although the problem is not serious he does not want to risk playing when he does not feel 100%.
Dent Demolished By Greg
Greg continued his winning streak today with a straight sets win over American, Taylor Dent, 6-2 6-2. Greg is still on a high after beating Agassi in the Sybase Open final, just over 48 hours ago. After the match Rusedski boasted " Someone's going to have to serve really well to beat me " His next opponent hoping to do so, will be the American youngster J-M Gambill who beat Bruguera in round one.
Agassi Outclassed As Rusedski Takes Title
Another inspired performance has helped Greg Rusedski take his first title since October 1999, this time beating Australian Open champion, Andre Agassi. In set one the Brit looked untouchable as he slammed down six aces and won 93% of his first serves in just 27 minutes. Game four was vital as Greg broke to love, after this his confidence grew and he amazingly outplayed Andre from the back of the court.
Agassi was clearly unsettled by the tenacity of the Brit as Greg broke in game one of the second set. With Rusedski's powerful serving and strong ground strokes, the American could not create any chances to break back, and was forced to watch the better player hold serve and take the title.
This is Greg's tenth title and he was clearly elated as he thanked the crowd for their support. Pat Cash and the rest of 'camp-Rusedski' were once again acknowledged for bringing Greg back from the jaws of retirement. Rusedski now heads off to Florida where he will join the likes of Rafter, Lapentti and Koubek, to compete for an eleventh title.
Greg Into First Final Of 2001
With a convincing win over Xavier Malisse that took only 66 minutes, Greg has clinched a place in his first final since October 1999. Malisse could not convert any of his six break points, whereas Greg managed three out of his seven. The first set saw Rusedski coming into the net for 64% of the points, the tactic obviously worked, and with four aces and only 6 un-forced errors Greg took the set 6-4.
Set two saw some strong serving from Greg, the strongest being 139mph. Greg broke in game 5, only to go 0-40 down on his own serve. The Rusedski spirit emerged and he fought back to take the game and then break again, leaving Greg to serve for the match. The Brit needed only one opportunity taking set two 6-2. Rusedski finished the match with a 84% of 1st serves won. He served eight aces, one double fault, twenty nine winners and thirteen unforced errors.
Greg will face either Andre Agassi or Jan Michael Gambill in the final. Jan Michael has faced Greg once and lost. Agassi has played Rusedski 4 times and leads 3-1, however it is interesting to note that the last time they played was 1997 in the this tournament...... Greg won!
Lleyton Sent Packing By Brit
Greg has continued to reap the awards of his three month plan, this time by beating the second seed in San Jose, Lleyton Hewitt. Going into the match the Australian had a head-to-head lead over the Briton, and a close first set saw no signs of Hewitt giving up this advantage. Nevertheless with ten aces and 14 break points, Greg started to dominate the match, which lasted just under two hours.
Beating Hewitt 5-7 6-1 6-3, Rusedski clinched a semi-final spot against Belgian, Xavier Malisse and admitted that he was " Really surprised. " He talked about the " three-month plan " and how it is helping him gain " the five to ten points that win or lose a match " Hewitt is the third player within the top ten this year to be unable to combat Greg and his re-worked game.
In the other half of the draw Jan Michael Gambill will face Andre Agassi for a place in the final.
Rusedski Races Past Italian
Italian qualifier, Renzo Furlan, proved light work for Greg as he powered his way into the quarter finals of the Sybase Open. The Brit had worked on his serve and saw the extra practice pay off as he fired 10 aces past Furlan in less than 60 minutes. Greg said he was " Really pleased" after the 6-3 6-2 win that will secure a quarter final spot.
Greg Proves Too Good For Levy
Greg has beaten Israel's Harel Levy to secure a spot in round two of the Sybase Open. The Brit took just 48 minutes and served seven aces as he returned to winning ways after last weeks early defeat. Rusedski overwhelmed the Israeli in set one, letting only a single game slip. Set two seemed to be just as easy, however whilst serving for the match, Greg tightened up and allowed Levy to force a tie-break. Greg lived up to expectations in the breaker and confidently took it 7-4. He will now play Renzo Furlan of Italy for a place in the quarter finals, possibly against the young Australian star, Lleyton Hewitt.
The last time Greg appeared in the San Jose event was 1997 when he reached the final, only to be forced to retirement due to a wrist injury. Greg said: "It's nice to be back here and win my first match. Now I have a chance to relax a little more," However Rusedski has also said that he believes he needs to spend time working on his serve this week with his coaching team.
Russian Rookie Rattles Greg
An 18 year old qualifier from Russia has knocked the British number two out of Memphis. The un-known quantity of Dmitry Tursunov proved too much for Greg as he crashed to a surprising defeat considering his form of recent weeks. Greg struggled right from the start with a double fault in his first service game forcing him to deuce. He tried to push the Russian, but with his own serve not working, Greg could not challenge Tursunov who held his games with increasing ease.
After taking the first set tie break 7-4, the qualifier made a few mistakes in game eight of set two to give Rusedski the break needed to equal things out. Set three saw Greg pick up momentum by breaking the Russian in his second service game. However Tursunov, who was playing for his first win on the ATP tour, quickly broke straight back. The 18 year old then became too strong for Rusedski as he broke again and took the match in under 90 minutes.
Boutter Beats Greg
For the second time in two weeks a Frenchman has stopped Greg from progressing, this time to spot in the final of the Milan tournament. Rusedski was playing an inspired Julien Boutter who produced powerful serving, with which Greg could not cope. The normally invincible serve of Rusedski did not show today and this crucial weapon deserted him on many occasions. Boutter came up with some fantastic volleying in the tie break, and while Greg double-faulted, the Frenchman held his nerve to go a set ahead. The match continued in the same fashion and once again Greg failed to produce in the tie-break losing his first service point. Boutter sealed the victory with an ace, leaving a disappointed Rusedski to head home for some practice before making his way to Memphis.
Rusedski Strides Past Safin
Top seed, Marat Safin, has been ousted from the Milan tournament by the British number one. In a match that lasted little over an hour, Greg continued to show why he is among the best players in the world. He broke the Russian three times in the first set and confidently held serve to take it 6-0. Safin looked rattled by Greg's unstoppable serving and the fact he could not take a point off the Brit in the first set.
Set two saw Safin take his first opportunity to break the Brit, however a cool and calm Rusedski equalled things out and forced a tie breaker. Greg's game came out on top as he continued an excellent show of serving and volleying, to take the match 7-5 in the tie break. Rusedski will now face Julien Boutter in his second semi-final of the year.
Wounded Rosset Retires
Rusedski has secured a place in his second quarter final of the year by beating an injured Marc Rosset. In 2000 the Swiss player beat Kafelnikov in the final of this tournament, but 2001 did not bring the same luck. Soon after the match began he showed signs of a lower back injury and Greg took advantage of his ailing opponent by taking the set 6-3. Rosset received treatment on court but the pain was too much and after handing Greg a brake in the first game of set two, he called it a day. Greg will now meet either Xavier Malisse or top seed, Marat Safin.
Greg Storms Past Pozzi
Greg has convincingly dispatched Italian, Gianluca Pozzi to reach the second round in Milan. Rusedski took the first set 6-1 and looked totally at ease. The home hope fought back in the second set, however, Greg made the all important break in the eleventh game to set up a clash with the winner of the Rosset v Ljubicic match. Rusedski will be hoping to continue what has so far been a highly successful year.
Classy Clement Finishes Aussie Open Dream
Greg Rusedski's Australian Open dream has been ended by a straight sets defeat by Frenchman, Arnaud Clement. The players were late onto the new Vodafone Arena for no apparent reason but when the match got underway Clement opened with style. The Frenchman immediately started to out-shine, what looked like a tired and un-surprisingly drained, Greg Rusedski. Greg struggled to return Clements serve consistently and in the fourth game a low 1st serve percentage from the Brit gifted Clement a brake and consequently the set. Hope for a second set comeback was soon erased as Clement broke Greg in the first game. Rusedski continued to look heavy and poor movement around the court gave the Frenchman the perfect opportunity to go ahead 3-0. As the set progressed it was becoming easier and easier for Clement to hold and the Brit never looked in a position to challenge, leaving the set to go Clements way 6-2.
Anyone who saw the first two sets would have found it hard to contemplate Greg turning his fortunes around, and consequently I was about to retire to bed, when, the Greg who beat Kuerten walked onto court to play a third set. The Brit seemed revitalised, finding his first serve and changing his tactics. It was a desperate attempt by Greg but it worked, if only for a while. The longest game of the match came on Greg's serve but some powering serves denied Clement an early break. Instead Greg managed to claw the 4th game off the Frenchman before seeing his next game slip away to equal things out. Rusedski soon looked sluggish again and Clement broke Greg in the 11th game to serve out for a place in the quarter final.
Greg will undoubtedly be upset that he could not have posed more problems for the Frenchman. However, I think Rusedski will quickly get over his loss and look back on what has been an amazing start to 2001. The confidence Greg will have gained in Melbourne is un-measurable, and with such a superb start, this could be a year for scaling new heights for the Brit.
Burgsmuller Beaten By Brit
Rusedski's amazing transformation continued today as he swept aside his 3rd round opponent, Lars Burgsmuller, in a highly convincing fashion. Greg walked out to a rapturous applause and the trade mark grin grew wider and wider as he saw the Union Jacks flying proud. A strong wind made conditions extremely difficult, but from the first point to the last Greg provided the perfect example of how to cope, infact he made it look ridiculously easy! The Brit started off in the same form as he ended the Kuerten match and broke in the first game. His serve was working to perfection and he never once looked like being threatened. Dropping only six service points in the entire 85 minute match, Greg has now set up a 4th round clash with Arnaud Clement of France. There is no doubt that this will be a tough match for Rusedski. The Frenchman has won their last two encounters and was responsible for Greg's first round loss in the Olympics. However, if Greg's beaming face is anything to go by he's just happy to be enjoying his tennis. He seems to have forgotten that only months ago he was considering retirement, now he is in the fourth round of a grand slam having beaten the world's number one player in what was, by his own admission, the best match of his career so far.
Renaissance Of Rusedski
Greg Rusedski has won one of the biggest matches of his career by beating world number one and top seed, Gustavo Kuerten. The epic five set match was a exhibition of tennis at its very best and the crowd of the Rod Laver court stayed late into the night to relish it. Greg admitted before that match that he was not expecting a win and in doing so the Brit cleverly relieved himself of any pressure. He opened the match in fine style with a strong service game. The Brazilian answered with a hold of his own game and snatching the following one from Greg. The Brit seemed un-rattled as he safely held serve and in the 6th game he broke to equal things out. Rusedski got the crowd on the edge of their seats by going 0-40 down in his following game only to lose it to a double fault. The rest of the set went with serve giving Guga advantage over the Brit.
The high standard of tennis continued and it was evident with Greg's phenomenal shots that the enjoyment factor, which has been lacking over the past six months, had returned. Greg surprised everyone by securing the second set on his fourth break point. However when looking at the statistics, the fact that he was getting 74% of first serves in and dropped only one point on his first serve show that Greg was on top of his game. Greg's momentum continued well into the third set leaving Kuerten rattled as he saw yet another set slip away. The Brazilian was forced to step up a gear and did so with immediate effect. He broke Greg in his first service game and continued in fine style equalling the match out 2 sets a piece.
The fifth set was full of fight from both players. Two double faults gifted Guga a match point but he could only watch as Greg's fantastic serving took it away. Some appalling line calls created an intense atmosphere in the crowd and on court but Greg overcame it all to break and serve for the match. The Brazilian produced some amazing passing shots to break back but Greg was not planning on giving up without a fight and took his opponents next service game. He then learned from his mistakes in his previous game and served out convincingly to create the biggest upset of the tournament so far.
Today's performance will silence all of Greg's critics, and re-assure him and his fans that, he is still able not only to compete against but beat the worlds best players. His new game worked wonders and the serve, which we feared may have been lost, was nearly the best it has ever been. Greg's quick footwork and ability to produce the shots that won him the match against Sampras in Paris, make him a serious contender for a place in the latter stages of the 2001 Australian Open. He now faces qualifier Lars Burgsmuller.
Greg Ousts Ondruska
Greg Rusedski has booked his place in the second round of the Australian Open with a win over South African qualifier Marcus Ondruska. An awful start saw Greg loose his first service game of the match and despite breaking back later on, Greg's nerves were clearly evident as he saw the set slip away with another break in the eighth game. The second set seemed to be going Greg's way as he gained a 3-1 lead over the South African. However as Greg tried to continue and stay on top of his radically changed game the tennis was not always pretty. Rusedski managed to keep hold of the second set despite double faulting, and with the help of a supportive crowd and some un-forced errors by his opponent he equalled the match at one set all. Ondruska seemed to have set three under his belt but un-able to take any of his four set points Rusedski grew in confidence and snatched it in a tie breaker. With victory in sight Greg appeared to relax and dominated the fourth set with few problems, he proceeded to take the match 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
Greg will now go on to face top seed Gustavo Kuerten who, also beat his first round opponent in four sets. The Brazilian will be the obvious favourite and Greg maintains that he: "Will be able to relax because there will be no expectations on me. He's the world number one and deservedly so." The match is likely to take place in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Gutsy Greg Bows Out In Auckland
Only two hours after completing his victory against Koubek, Greg was forced to return to court and play for a place in his first final of 2001. His opponent was the Spaniard Francisco Clavet who ended 2000 ranked 49th in the world, and beat the up-coming American star Jan Michael Gambill in his quarter final. Rusedski put up a good fight but it was obvious from the beginning that the hectic schedule forced on him had paid its price. Clavet took advantage of Greg's troubled serve and forced him into making many errors, leaving the Spaniard with a place in the final against Dominik Hrbaty.
This week will have boosted Greg's confidence and has indeed silenced many critics who believed it was all over for the Brit. Greg has admitted that he never expected to have done so well this early in the year and were it not for the schedule who is to say he could not have gone further? His attentions will now turn to the Australian Open and continuing to re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.
Close Koubek Clash Puts Greg Into The Semis
Greg has sealed his place in the semi finals by beating Stefan Koubek of Austria in a close three set match. Rusedski served well in the first set and took it convincingly. However the second set went the Austrian's way with a single break, as Greg struggled to retain his rhythm. Unfortunately for Koubek, Greg has always been a fighter and this was once again shown as he battled to take the third set 7-5 setting up a clash with Clavet to be played within a couple of hours.
Greg Triumphs In Byron Black Battle
After the rain cleared the sun shone, and so did Greg. His patience was rewarded with a late night win over the 5th seed, Byron Black of Zimbabwe. Rusedski had waited almost two days for the encounter to take place and after storming to take the first set 6-1, it looked like it could be a short contest. The Zimbabwean had trouble coping with Greg's serve and watched his own service games slip away.
Early in the second set, a lapse in consistency by the Brit saw Black take a 4-1 lead. However a persistent Rusedski fought hard to force a tie break and preceded to take it in convincing fashion (7-3). Greg now goes on to face the Austrian Stefan Koubek in the quarter finals. Unfortunately for Greg the poor weather has bought a backlog of matches and he may therefore be forced to play two tomorrow. Rusedski looked on the positive side saying: "It's going to be a good test for me physically, but I have been training really hard."
Greg Advances in Auckland
Greg has secured his first win of 2001 by knocking out home hope, Mark Nielsen, in the Heineken Open. The comprehensive 6-4 6-4 victory will provide relief for the brit as recent changes in his game now appear to be working. Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Greg highlighted the fact that he was not expecting too much because of all his recent changes. However, even though the tennis was not pretty, he was happy with his win because it means more match practice and a chance to improve consistency. He spoke of solidifying his game and looking a lot further ahead than any up-coming tournaments. His game will come under a tougher test as he faces Zimbabwean Byron Black in the second round
Tough Draw Means Early Exit for Greg in Adelaide
Greg's new year did not get off to the best possible start as he lost to fellow Brit and great rival, Tim Henman. The draw was one that neither man would have wished for but one that the British media will indeed relish. Henman, playing in conditions that suited him, dominated the first set taking it 6-3. Rusedski fought hard to take the second, however a series of double faults in the tie break saw a straight sets victory go Henman's way.
After the match Greg admitted that he has found the training programme with his new coach Pat Cash very frustrating. He said that: "It's like almost having to start again, which can be humiliating." Rusedski admitted that changing his forehand, backhand, volley and serve in one month then trying to play a tournament was a tall order. " Some days at practice, I could go out and beat anybody, but then there's days where I could go out and lose to my grandmother." He also acknowledged his coaches comment that it is not automatic and will take at least three months to see signs of success. Greg will now continue working on his game and confidence in the build up to the Australian Open.
Adelaide Provides Backdrop For The Start of Greg's 2001 Year
Greg will join many of the prominent figures of 2000 in Adelaide on January 3rd hoping to kick-start his year. He will follow fellow Brit, Tim Henman, down under both of whom will be joined by the likes of Haas, Popp, Clement and Grosejean. Tournament organisers will also be holding wild cards for Aussie hopefuls Hewitt and Rafter until the last minute.
2000 Round Up
2000 has been a year Greg and all his supporters would rather have not experienced, full of low-confidence, niggling injuries and poor results, the first year of the new millennium has been what some may call "a nightmare." Starting the year from the side-lines because of recovering from a foot operation, Greg duly lost his first match of the year in Monte Carlo. A un-wanted pattern started to emerge as he went out to Slava Dosedel in round one of the French Open, and it continued as he went out of the Rome Masters Series event in the same style.
Coming back to home ground for Queens, Greg was optimistic for some good results. The optimism took him as far as Marat Safin to whom he handed over a one-set lead and consequently the match. Then, as the eyes of the tennis world turned to SW19, Greg had his firmly fixed on winning his first round match. He faced Vince Spadea an American who was on the end of a 21 match losing streak. With stops and starts and both highs and lows for each player, the match became painful to watch. The conclusion was even more damaging as, for another year, Greg waved goodbye to the Wimbledon complex and a dumbfounded crowd.
The summer came and went with a few wins here and there but no concrete winning streak to silence the press, who were all claiming Greg was "over the hill." The blow of losing first round at the Olympics was softened because Henman did the same. Then when the indoor season arrived, Greg and his fans were clinging to the memories of 1999 and previous years, however the year from hell just continued. Luckily a win over Kafelnikov, the Olympic champion, and an impressive victory over Marat Safin provided some remorse. Nevertheless the familiar pattern of first round losses was still evident, as was a lack of confidence in Greg's game. The year finished just like it started with a first round exit, this time on home soil in Brighton.
With the news that Greg will be working with Pat Cash to help elevate himself to the heights of previous years, Greg's supporters will be hoping and praying this year will be quickly forgotten.
Roll on 2001 and the return of the Greg we all know and respect, for another year of challenges......
25th November Brighton News Round Up
Greg crashed out in the first round to American Paul Goldstein. Despite taking a 3-0 lead in the first set, Greg went on to lose in straight sets.
Greg entered the doubles with Mark Goellner and as this article was written they were preparing to compete in the Semi-Finals.
The only further news from the event, despite the shockingly small attendances (due to high prices and a poor entry field) was Greg's rejection at short-notice to play in an exhibition match on the Friday when Tim Henman's quarter final was declared a walkover. Tim stoked the fire with this quip:
"But if I'd been paid a handsome guarantee to play a tournament and lost in the first round and only been involved in some social doubles, my conscience would have mad me play an exhibition. I'm sad to say its another PR error on Greg's part"
3rd October Hewitt Halts Greg
A hard fought battle ended in upset today for Greg, as Australia's youngster Lleyton Hewitt, beat him 6-4 6-4. Henman's conqueror who is in top form, started how he meant to go by making Greg save a break point in his first service game. Greg's best chance to take the lead came in the sixth game where the youngster served three doubles only to retain his service and take his opponents in the following game. The first set was won on Hewitt's second set point putting the Brit under pressure to take the second set.
Unfortunately this pressure got to Greg as he lost his first service game of the second set allowing Lleyton to take control of the match and just hold his serve to earn a place in the semi finals. However, all is not lost for Greg. He has played some inspired tennis this week and has earnt more points which will aid him in his bid to end the year in the top 50.
2nd October Safin stunned by Rusedski
Today Greg convinced yet more critics that he is back and dangerous. Rusedski removed from the tournament the number one seed and present US Open champion. It was a match that oozed confidence and composure from Greg with him producing many spectacular shots. A tight first set, in which the Russian gave away brilliant opportunities to take the set, saw Greg taking the tie-break 7-2 in a very convincing fashion. In the second set Greg took an early opportunity to break Safin in the third game. From this point on Rusedski was always in control and held his nerve serving to love for a 7-6 6-4 victory. This is a massive win for Greg and sets him up with a quarter final against either Lleyton Hewitt or Tim Henman.
31st October Puerta opens the door for Greg! (title by Dee)
Greg's success continued today in what he called his "Build up for 2001" with another convincing win. Rusedski fought off the Argentine, Mariano Puerta, 6-2 6-3. With some of the best serving Greg has produced all year, the 16th seed had little chance to make his mark on the match. The Brit slammed down 16 aces in the game and confirmed afterward both body and mind were feeling good. This victory has set up a tie with the winner of the Santoro v Safin match, the latter being number one seed at this tournament. Greg will now be looking to continue his run of convincing victories past the 3rd round and possibly set up a quarter final with fellow Brit-Tim Henman.
30th October Jerome Demolished By Greg
Forty five minutes was all it took for Rusedski to remove the Frenchman, Jerome Golmard, from his path in Stuttgart. That short amount of time for the 6-1 6-2 defeat could prove one of the most confidence boosting matches of the year for Greg, and indeed his fans. The Brit was extremely up-beat after his match saying how frustrating and tough the year had been but that: " I think I'm over my injuries and now I'm really looking forward to the future"
Greg will now go on to face 16th seed Mariano Puerta in round two, he will be hoping for another convincing win so that he can achieve his aim of getting back into the top 50 which he says would " Be the rescue of the year"
It has also emerged that in December Greg will be talking to former Wimbledon Champion Pat Cash about the possibility of him as a coach next year.
27th October Lleyton Has All The Luck
Unfortunately, Greg was unable to sustain his winning streak, and bowed out of the tournament 12 points and $27,970 the better for it. His opponent, Lleyton Hewitt, won the match convincingly 7-6 6-2, the score indicating a dreaded slip in Greg’s confidence in the second set. It was undoubtedly a very difficult match, with Hewitt still displaying great form and confidence despite a virus. However Lleyton's comment after the game was one to be relished as he indicated even the top players in the world still see Greg as a worthy opponent . Saying “ I beat Rusedski, who even though his ranking is not up there right now, is still a big name.”
Hewitt now advances into the semi finals, against the young Swiss star Roger Federer.
26th October – Greg Crushes Krajicek
Greg has continued to show great form in Basle, defeating Krajicek impressively, 2-6 7-6 7-5. Having made a shaky start, Greg proceeded to take the next two sets and dispelling all doubts about his confidence, something that has let him down in the past. Greg has now matched his 1999 success in Basle, charging into the quarter final where he will meet the rising star of Australia-Lleyton Hewitt. This has been Greg’s best result in a tournament for months and it is certain that he will receive a necessary confidence boost for Stuttgart next week. Greg has won the only time that the two have met before which was in Nottingham last year. However Hewitt’s tennis has improved quite substantially since then with a semi-final appearance in the US Open just over a month ago. This is perhaps, the toughest match that Greg will have played so far, and if he advances possibly the toughest match that he will play all tournament.
24th October – Basel : Greg Alarms Alami
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his entry, Greg made a confident start to the Basle Tournament defeating Karim Alami 7-5, 6-1. Although Alami is stronger on clay, the win was still an impressive feat considering Greg’s previous track record against him: although having won on all three of the occasions that the two met, the results, even on hard courts show Alami to be a more than worthy competitor. Having won this first round, Greg moves on in a difficult draw to face Krajicek in the second. Both players have had injury problems, and both have made a good start to the tournament. Greg is currently leading the head to head tally against Krajicek 5-4, but he has not won a match against the Dutchman since the US Open in 1997.
19th October Toulouse Trauma for Greg
Greg's miserable year continued last night in Toulouse as he failed to fight of Hicham Arazi to gain a 2nd round spot. In 1998 Greg had been the runner up in this tournament but after a depressing year hampered by injury he was never really expected to repeat such a feat. The final score-line was 6-3 6-4 and allowed Arazi progress to a second round match facing the ever improving American Jan-Michael Gambill. Rusedski will now have to hope that two players drop out of the main draw in Basle allowing him a place. Basle has been a good tournament for Greg in the past with him taking the title in 1998, lets hope if he gets into the draw he can pull out some victories.
12th October Vincente Halts Hopes Of Another Title
With Greg's excellent performance over Kafelnikov in the previous round many were expecting an easier task in taking out the Spaniard Fernando Vincente. However from the moment Greg stepped out on court it was clear for all to see this was not going to be the case. Greg seemed to be struggling to get to grips with his game, while Vincente was on top of his and took the first set with ease. The Spaniards domination continued into the second set and Greg managed to clinch it in a tie-break thanks to some mistakes from his opponent.
Vincente was clearly suffering physically as he called on the doctor to attend to a cold. Nevertheless Greg could not take advantage of playing a physically ailing opponent as he seemed to be mentally down himself. Vincente soon took hold of the third set, helped by Greg's clear lack of confidence and settled the match 6-2 in the third.
10th October Greg Is Back and Taking Vienna By Storm!!
Our support for Greg obviously did not go a miss as today in Vienna he fought for a 3 set victory over the Olympic Champion, Yevgeney Kafelnikov. The match was by far the biggest win of the year for him, and with some stunning ground strokes and excellent feel at the net he has re-ignited his hope of retaining the title. As a famous saying goes “ he left his heart in San Francisco” you could well say Greg had left his best tennis in Vienna.
Last year, The CA Trophy was a tournament that justified Greg’s status as one of the world’s top players. This year it is a tournament that could save him and if this is to be the case then he has started off well. He will now face Fernando Vincente in the next match….
18th September Clement Shatters Greg's Golden Dream
Even Greg's greatest fans had to admit his chances of a medal at Sydney were very slim, however we all knew our man would give it his best shot. He faced the Frenchman Arnaud Clement in the first round over whom Greg had a 3-0 lead head-to-head. However Clement wanted revenge and right from the first ball that is exactly what he got. Greg never got into a winning position as Clement charged to a 6-2 6-3 victory in less than an hour. Greg's attention now turns to the indoor season where he will hope to prove he is still among the best players in the world. GOOD LUCK!
9th September Tashkent
Hoping to gain some good form in the run up to the Olympics, Greg chose to play Taskkent, a tournament that in previous years has been good for the Brits with Tim Henman already having won it twice. Greg faced Sargis Sargsian in the first round and pulled off a 6-3 7-5 win against the player ranked 72nd in the world. His second round opponent, Andrei Stoliarov, ranked well out-side the top 100 proved a tougher match. Greg managed to take the Russian to three sets but lost 7-6(6) 3-6 5-7. So Greg picked up 3 ranking points, $8,400 and promptly left Tashkent hoping for better luck in Sydney.
30th August Pioline ousts Greg in Five
For the first two hours it looked so good. Greg back to his best and although not streets ahead of Pioline he was certainly doing enough to baffle him - so much so that he won the first two sets in fine style. Pioline though enjoys a tussle - and duly started his route back into the tournament at 4-4 in the third set. From nowhere he snatched a break and signalled his true intent by smashing a ball straight at Greg. Greg energy levels and movement had already by this stage dropped and it looked like a pretty quick conclusion when Greg got broken towards the end of the fourth.
Not to be outdone though Greg formed his only mini revival and broke straight back.....only for Pioline to take the tiebreak and indeed a decisive break of serve early in the fifth.
Although disappointing for Greg and his fans the performance was so much better than many expected - in fact before the match it was hard to find a pundit who would back anyone other than the seeded Pioline. Greg's attention now turns towards the Olympics.
30th August Rusedski is BACK!
For a while there he had us worried....
But he is back. And back in style with a straight sets win over Swede Magnus Gustaffson (6-1 6-2 6-4). Admittedly Magnus struggled much as Greg had in his last Grand Slam match at Wimbledon - playing with very little rhythm. But at the end of the day Greg recorded his first win since Mid June and will feel much better going into tomorrows Second Round.
The result will also have pleased Scott Brookes who is coaching Greg right now.