NOVEMBER 11: Syed Fazaluddin moved from zero to 60 in three weeks, and will hope to touch 100 as he prepares to play the final of the $ 6,250 ITF Satellite Tennis Circuit Masters leg at the GA Ranade Tennis Centre tomorrow.The Indian, after three forgettable weeks, which included two first round losses, played at ``60 per cent'' which was enough to beat Zbynek Mlynarik (Austria) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in the final-leg of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association-conducted event today. He will now play Tom Chicoine (US) who came back from a one-set, one break deficit to beat Thomas Messmer (Germany) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in just over two hours for the title.Fazaluddin, one break up in the decider, experienced some anxious moments when his back needed medical attention. It might have hindered his serving, but did not dent his will to do well after failing to perform to expectations thus far in the Circuit. His performance level, he admitted, was zero before the leg commenced.``Perhaps, I had put too much pressure on myself. I came here believing I could win this Circuit,'' Fazaluddin had said yesterday after his quarter-final triumph. ``I have all along felt good playing. It was only a matter of time before I started winning as well,'' he added.Another break of serve and the back strain seemed a thing to be left behind. But he dropped serve soon after, Mlynarik playing a backhand drop return of serve at break point, to bring out gasps of despair from the few spectators who had trickled in.A solid service game, and the Indian was back in business at 4-2. His opponent lost nerve, serving two double faults in the ninth game one at match point for the Indian to book his semi-final place in a little less than two hours.Fazaluddin's one chance of ensuring an early end to the semi-final came when held a break point in the second set while staring at a 2-4 setback. But Mlynarik pelted a forehand crosscourt and then an overhead to haul himself to level terms.The 0-1 match score brought the best out of the Austrian as he drummed in winners in the second set while Fazaluddin failed to match his serving consistency of the opening set. But the reversal of roles lasted only for 35 minutes as Fazaluddin zoomed to a perfect start in the decider and just once let go of the accelerator. Sixty and counting.Results (seedings in prefix, country, ranking in parenthesis)Men's singles (semi-final): Syed Fazaluddin (Ind, 418) bt Zbynek Mlynarik (Aut) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3; 3-Tom Chicoine (US, 500) bt 2-Thomas Messmer (Ger) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
