Qureshi wins Masters title

Our Correspondent

Pakistan's Aisam Qureshi delivered when it mattered most. The third seed played the perfect serve and volley game to overcome a spirited challenge from sixth seed Ivan Vajda of Croatia and win the Masters tennis tournament, the concluding leg of the ITF Satellite circuit, in Bombay, on Friday.

Qureshi won the hour-and-a-half contest 6-4, 7-5 to pick his maiden Satellite title.

Much was expected from the title clash following the giant-killing feats of both players in the semi-finals on Thursday -- Qureshi scalping Atrem Derepasko and Vajda accounting for top seed Oliver Marach, the winner of the first three legs on the circuit. And the players did not let disappoint.

The Pakistani's forte is his big serve. He exercised perfect control over it, though he managed just five aces in the match compared to the 13 he dished out in the semis, and backed it up with good volleying to call the shots right through.

Games went with serve for the first nine games in the first set till Qureshi broke Vajda in the tenth, after the pony-tailed Croat netted a return, to take the set at 6-4.

But Vajda came back strongly in the second set and established a commanding 3-1 lead after breaking the Pakistani in the third game and then holding serve. It looked as if Qureshi's initial flurry was a flash in the pan as he committed several unforced errors. He managed to hold serve in the fifth, seventh and ninth games but was unable to effect a break. And just when it looked as if Vajda would serve out the set and take the match into decider, Qureshi broke in the 10th to level the set score 5-5.

Again Vajda's unforced errors proved his undoing. Like in the first set, he hit a volley into the net in the tenth game and allowed his opponent to catch up.

Once level, the Pakistani was in full cry. He held his serve in the 11th and then went on to break in the 12th to take the set and match at 7-5.

The triumph earned Qureshi US $800 and 31 valuable ATP points.

Overall, he finished a creditable second on the Indian circuit, accumulating 27 points, behind Oliver March, who collected 25.

The other placings were: 3. Artem Derepasko (16 points), 4. Ivan Vajda (15 points), 5. Donovan September (8).

Fifth seeds Lauri Kilski and Tero Vilen of Finland won the doubles crown beatein second seeded Artem Derepasko and Michail Elgin of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the final on Thursday.

Also read: Vajda shocks Marach