LAHORE, 6th Apr 2023: Mikaeel Ali Baig has defeated the 2nd seed Imran in an exciting thriller by 6-4, 6-3 in the Somoni Open U14 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Mikaeel now advances into semifinals where he will face a Kazakhstan player. Due to heavy rains this week, and lots of delays in matches, the quarterfinals had to be played on indoor courts, where surface is very different from outdoor court and the ball comes at a very fast speed. Mikaeel, who only always trains and competes on outdoor courts, had to put up a tough fight in the first set.
The match started off with both players only holding their serve games. At 4-4 in the first set, Mikaeel was able to break his opponents serve and get the game, which then allowed him to take the lead and win the set at 6-4. In the second set, both players struggled to try and again break each other’s serves. At 3-3 in second set, Mikaeel found the opportunity to take the lead and win the set at 6-3. Imran, in last week’s tournament had placed 4th and had beaten the second seed player.
Mikaeel, while talking to The Nation fro Dushanbe, said, “Today, it was a very important match for me. I had seen Imran last week defeating some top players. I knew the match would be tough and I would have to play very strong. I had not had any opportunity to practice on these indoor courts, so I got to the courts early to see some matches before mine. “As I watched them, I understood that I may have to play differently and smarter, if I wanted to get this win. The court was very fast, and I had to try to earn every point and make sure I could hold my serves. Today, I face a Kazakhstan player, who I know is very good and I am prepared for another tough and exciting match.”
Reference Link: https://www.nation.com.pk/06-Apr-2023/mikaeel-advances-into-somoni-open-u14-semifinals