Asian Challengers - April 2018

[sameerph]

In second set, in third game Mukund saved 3 breakpoints and holds for 2-1.

Mukund leading 3-2 after holding at 30. Needs to get more first serves in though. First serve % is only 27% in this set so far which is causing him to struggle a bit to hold his serve.
Mukund got to 30-15 on Lee serve but Lee put in a couple of big serves and a big forehand to hold for 3-3.

[vatsal323]

Watching Mukund play for the first time closely today. And I must say that his style of play is quite like mine :P

[sameerph]

Great, Vatsal.

Mukund got into a bit of trouble at 15-30 but won the next 3 points with some good play to lead 4-3 in the second set.

Lee holds at 30 for 4-4.

Again from 15-30 down, Mukund wins the next 3 points to hold for 5-4. Now needs to put pressure on Lee as he serves to stay in the match.

He did that and got to 40-15 but missed both match points and missed another one at ad-in and Lee holds for 5-5. I hope Mukund puts this out of this mind.

He does hold at love to get to 6-5.

[Prem]

Mukund just got tight when he had 3 match points on Lee’s serve at 4-5
Unforced errors in all 3 points and hence couldn’t close out the match.
Holds at love to go 6-5 up.
Needs to break now...

[jayakris]

Man, Mukund is a noisy player.

[sameerph]

Lee held at 30 and takes it to tiebreak in second set.

[jayakris]

3-3 in the tiebreaker after a trade of minibreaks ( a mishit by Mukund and a DF by Lee). Then a DF by Mukund.. He gets it back on a long forehand from Lee. 5-5

[PKBasu]

3-3 in the tiebreak. DF by Duck-hee gave Mukund a minibreak back.
But now Mukund serves a DF. 3-5
FH UFE from Duckhee makes it 5-5.
Drama, overrules etc but Duckhee makes it 6-5. Mukund to serve.
Nice drop volley makes it 6-6.

[jayakris]

He had a winner at 5-5 on Lee's serve. Bad line call. The ump reversed it and asked for a replay. Lost the pt there. 5-6 on serve. Saved SP on Mukund's serve and volley. 6-6. Nice serve and forehand. 7-6 match pt on Lee's serve...Mukund's return is long. 7-7... Beautiful backhand cross court from Mukund... Another match pt, and he serves well to win it. 62 76(7)... Yeah!!

[PKBasu]

Great BH winner ends a rally in Mukund's favour. 8-7. Kick serve finishes it 9-7.

[Prem]

Phew!! Mukund wins it finally converting his 5th match point

[PKBasu]

[R2] Q-Sasi Kumar Mukund (IND,516) d. Duck Hee Lee (KOR,217) 62 76(7)

[sameerph]

Great that he finished it off in straight sets. Just felt that if it had gone to third set, all those match points missed might well have played on his mind.

Great job,Mukund. Excellent win over one of the talented next-gen players of world, Duck Hee Lee.

[PKBasu]

What an impressive set of performances by Mukund and Prajnesh! Can we have an all-Indian final in this big Challenger too please?!

The story of these $150K+H Challengers: "Indians conquer China's courts!"

[jayakris]

Boy, the guy is a noisy player. He wastes so much energy grunting. Yells things like "ayyayyo!" in Tamil/Malayalam style for his own mis-hits, congratulates the other guy with "too good, too good" for a drop shot against him, etc. Way too much of "come on"... Generally noisy all around.

But whatever works. As long as he wins, good job Mukund. When he loses, I will say, "Shashi, shh... shh..."