WROCLAW
Three seeds, including top-ranked player Ricardas Berankis, were in action on semi-finals Saturday at the Wroclaw Open but the world number 79 from Lithuania was taken out by a solid performance from qualifier Mirza Basic. The Bosnian world number 277 fired eight aces and sealed victory in 93 minutes winning 7-6, 7-5 to reach his only second ATP Challenger final after he lost in Yokohama in 2012 to Matteo Viola in straight sets.
Top seed Ricardas Berankis lost in the semi-final in Wroclaw
Mirza Basic reached his second ATP Challenger final
“I played a bit better than yesterday but I also lost my service in the second set, where I didn’t fight until the end. At 6-5, I played well so that I eventually could gain the victory today,” Basic was satisfied with his performance. “I have been practicing all my life for being ready in the finals. In tennis you never know but I still feel good physically,” the Bosnian seemed to be prepared for the climax at Orbita Hall on Sunday after having two intense weeks of tennis with five matches in Bergamo last week and another five in Wroclaw.
Mirza Basic spoke to the media after the encounter
Third seed Farrukh Dustov only lost his service once to overcome the tournament’s number two Steve Darcis in one hour and 45 minutes winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. The 28-year old from Uzbekistan impressed through powerful groundstrokes. In particular with his forehand, Dustov was able to put pressure on the Belgian hitting a couple of winners from the baseline.
Steve Darcis
Farrukh Dustov
“This match has been the toughest for me at this tournament. Steve can play very well at this kind of surface. I won the first set by breaking him once. In the second, I lost my serve and in the third set we both held our services until 5-5. Then I told myself to take more risks compared to the games before and it worked out,” Dustov was happy afterwards.
“The surface is faster than at other tournaments but it is not super-fast. You need to serve well and be patient to wait for the right moment in order to take the advantage of the game,” the man from Tashkent described the conditions at Orbita Hall.
Farrukh Dustov wants to claim his first ATP Challenger title since winning at home in Samarkand in 2014
“Tonight I will not do anything special in terms of preparation for tomorrow. I will try to play point by point and not to think too much about the fact that it is a final,” Dustov said. The Uzbek lost his last four ATP Challenger finals in Brescia, Bratislava, Vancouver as well as in Winnetka and tries to do better on Sunday by taking his fourth Challenger career title. His last triumph came in Samarkand in 2014.
“Physically I feel good. After this tournament, I will go to France playing more tournaments as I am close to the top 100 and I would like to break into it,” the current world number 118 said about his goal and his further schedule.
Wroclaw’s dwarfs await winner and runner-up on Sunday’s final
On Sunday’s doubles final Frank Dancevic and Andriej Kapas will take on the German pair of Philipp Petzschner and Tim Puetz, who defeated Andrej Martin and Hsien-Yin Peng in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
