Down two match points in final,Yuki rallies to win ITF Futures

In great form for the whole week,although Yuki was tamely cast aside in the first set,he dug deep to snatch one of the most exciting come-from-behind wins of his career to earn US$1,950 and 27 ATP points. Though 29-year-old Karanusic once enjoyed a career high ranking of 88 in the world in 2009,has played the Davis Cup for Croatia and in his eleven-year professional career has had some glorious wins against some of tennis’s big names – Andy Roddick and David Nalbandian,and India’s best Somdev Devvarman,he has now slipped to 483 and the losing finalist effort will do little to boost his ranking hopes as he earned 15 points and US$1,350.

And this loss for Karanusic will be a much rued one as he was serving for the match at 5-4,40-15 in the second set after earning two breaks in the opening set and three in the second. With the title a shot away away,the Croat went on to lose his serve in the decisive 10 th game.

Yuki too had showed glimmers of form as he broke the seventh seed three times in the second set before winning four straight points to level the second 5-5 and stun Karanusic with his game. The match went on to last an hour and 45 minutes.

After unsettling the Croat with his comeback,Yuki needed to just find the right moment to strike at his opponents serve again and he found that early in the third set. In the fourth game he earned a break point and that one break of serve was enough to overrun Karanusic mentally and physically.

“I was down throughout the match,down match points and it was a tough final. I wouldn’t say I played great tennis in the end but on days like these it is important you fight back well and that’s what I did today. “I started attacking and coming in to the net a lot more,and I think when you are so close to winning the final and then you have to start all over again in the third set,that kind of took a toll on him and I capitalised on that,” Yuki says.

He next plays the Futures tournament in Calcutta and after a week of rest and training in Delhi,he plays two more Futures in Chandigarh and Noida.