Mirza Basic outlasts Rajeev Ram in the quarter-finals – KEIO Challenger 2012
World number 336, Mirza Basic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, continued his good run at the KEIO Challenger International Tennis Tournament, as he stunned the second seed, USA’s Rajeev Ram, in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, in the quarter-finals
in Yokohama, Japan.
Basic made his intentions clear from the beginning of the contest, as he captured opening four games to race to a 4-0 lead. Ram came close to levelling the score, winning three in a row to shorten the trail to 3-4. However, the
American contestant could not pull back the second one and went down 4-6.
The Bosnian player pounded three aces but committed a couple of double faults at the same time. He had a below average first serve percentage of 56 but succeeded in grabbing 12 of the 15 points on them. The 21-year-old saved one
of the two break points he faced and converted two of the four he received in the opener.
In the second set, it was Ram’s turn to make a flying start, as the American player grabbed first three games to build a 3-0 lead. The 6ft 4in tall maintained his advantage till the end and sealed it 6-3.
Ram bombarded five aces on Basic and clinched 14 of the 18 first delivery points. The American participant gave an average return performance, sealing four of the 13 first and four of the 10 second reply points. The 28-year-old
saved the only break point he faced and converted the one he received in the second set.
The American player and his Bosnian opponent won their opening serves in the decider to level the proceedings at 1-1. It was all Basic show after that, as he struck twice and grabbed five in a row to close it 6-1.
The Bosnian contestant banged in three aces and made a couple of double faults, maintaining a first serve percentage of 58 and securing 12 of the 18 points on them. The youngster saved all the four break points he faced and converted
two of the three he received in the final set.
Basic will now lock horns with the third seed, Yuichi Sugita, in the semi-finals.
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