Mirza Basic battles past Amer Delic
in 2nd round – Knoxville Challenger 2011
Bosnian qualifier Mirza Basic required three sets to get rid of compatriot Amer Delic in the second round of the Knoxville Challenger 2011.
At the University of Tennessee’s Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, the two challenged each other on indoor hard courts and after one hour and thirty one minutes, Basic whipped his compatriot Delic by bouncing
back from a set down to score 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday the 10th of November 2011.
Opening the first set was Delic and both the challengers were able to bag a game each on their respective serves to place themselves on the scoreboard at 1-1. During the following four games the players bagged two games each and
by the end of the sixth game each player had bagged three games each. However, from there onwards, Delic took out his A-game and by utilizing the serve-break-serve method he clogged the opening set to go one up in the match.
Basic pulled up his sleeves after he had taken a beating in the opening round and he battled a few deuces to ward off his opponent in the first game of the second set. Following behind was Delic and he too held his serve to place
himself on the scoreboard at 1-1. By the end of the fourth game, both players had bagged two games each.
Neither of the players wanted the other to take the lead and the score progressed on even terms for the last time at three games each at the end of the sixth game. However, in a reversal of fate, it was Delic, who had double faulted
in the eighth game and as basic served for the match; he smashed a backhand winner to clog the second set.
By the end of the second set each player had bagged a set apiece and opening the decisive set was Delic but this time he got off to a bad start as he was unable to hold his serve. Nonetheless, Basic capitalized from two early breaks
and took a mini lead of 3-0 by the end of the third game.
It was in the fourth game that Delic made a return by immediately breaking back in the fourth game. However as the two once more held their respective serves, the score had progressed to 5-2 by the end of the seventh game. Basic
served for the match and he held his serve for the last time to seal his victory of the set and the match.
Next up for Basic in the quarterfinal is Finnish Harri Heliovaara.
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