Mirza Basic dismisses Shuichi Sekiguchi in the second round – KEIO Challenger 2012
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 336th ranked player, Mirza Basic, defeated Shuichi Sekiguchi of Japan in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals at the KEIO Challenger in Yokohama, Japan on Thursday.
Basic and Sekiguchi did not drop their serve in the first three games, taking the score to 2-1 in favour of the former. The Bosnian struck in the fourth and won his next serve to build a 4-1 lead. However, he could not serve out
the set in the 10th game, levelling the proceedings at 5-5. The following two were held and the score was taken to 6-6, forcing a tie-breaker. Basic raced to a 4-1 lead and sustained it till the end to win it 7-6(2).
The Bosnian player hit blistering serves, bombarding six aces on his rival and not committing even a single double fault. The 21-year-old maintained a first delivery percentage of 63 and claimed 20 of the 32 points on them. Both
players saved five of the six break points they faced in the opener.
Basic did not let his grip on the match to loosen up, as he struck in the very first game of the second set and won his following serve to go up 2-0. The Bosnian contestant hit another blow in the fifth and consolidated on it to
grab a 5-1 advantage. Sekiguchi tried his best to break back in the ending stages of the encounter, but he could not and lost it 2-6.
The Bosnian national banged in one ace and 56 percent of the first serves, claiming nine of the 15 points on them. In comparison, Sekiguchi could hit just 46 percent of the first deliveries. He was able to win merely six of the
13 points on the second serves. The Japanese contestant failed to save four of the six break points he faced and could not convert the only one he received in the second set.
Basic required one hour and 53 minutes to post this victory over his local opponent.
The Bosnian participant will lock horns with the second seed, Rajeev Ram, for a place at the last four-stage.
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