Mirza Basic topples Yuichi Sugita to reach the title match – KEIO Challenger 2012
World number 336, Mirza Basic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, carried on his giant killing run, as he surprised the third seed, Japan’s Yuichi Sugita, to advance to the final of the KEIO Challenger in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday.
Basic played an all-round game and made Sugita’s like difficult through the contest. The Bosnian player served superbly, played brilliantly at the net and his ground strokes were also outstanding. Basic allowed the Japanese player
to claim just four games in the entire match, winning it in straight sets 6-4, 6-0 and moving to the title match.
In the first set, Basic and Sugita made a stable start, as they held their serve in the first four games to square off the score at 2-2. The Bosnian contestant made a breakthrough in the fifth and consolidated on it to attain a
4-2 lead. Basic sustained his lead till the end of the opener, clinching it 6-4.
The Bosnian national pounded four aces and committed two double faults in the first set. He maintained a first serve percentage of 68 and secured 19 of the 23 points on them. The 21-year-old gave a lacklustre performance on the
second deliveries and first returns, as he lost six of the 11 and 14 of the 18 points on them. The Bosnian player evaded both break threats he came across and availed one of the six chances he created.
After managing to triumph in the first set, Basic’s confidence went sky high and he started to play near flawlessly. The Bosnian contender went on a winning spree, grabbing six back to back games to seal it 6-0.
Basic banged in three aces and 75 percent of the first serves, winning nine of the 12 points on them. The Bosnian contender won most of the points on his second deliveries and returns, as he bagged three of the four and nine of
the 12 points on them respectively. The youngster did not face any break point in the second set.
The unseeded player will lock horns with the fourth seed, Matteo Viola of Italy, in the title match.
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