04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 3: Norikazu Sugiyama of Japan downed Aqeel Khan of Pakistan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the ITF Satellite tennis circuit at the DLTA Complex, New Delhi, on Friday, according to a report available on Saturday.

Sugiyama, 26, had won the Satellite tournament by entering the final itself, and was playing for only an additional ATP point.

Yet, Sugiyama regained form in time after an indifferent start to end the hopes of the fifth-seeded Aqeel Khan.

An injudicious approach to the net at 15-30 in the ninth game of the decider and a broken gut when he was trying to save the second breakpoint, came in the way of the 24-year-old Aqeel's aspirations to clinch the title.

The top-seeded Sugiyama, who won the title in the third leg last week, was quite erratic in the first set, but he forced his opponent to make mistakes as the match meandered into the second set.

Though Aqeel played a mature game overall, he erred and lost grip over the proceedings as he tried to dictate terms.

Sugiyama ended up with 43 ATP points, including eight bonus points for winning the circuit. Aqeel had to be content with 29 ATP points including four bonus for finishing second.

Incidentally, Joshua Goodall of Britain also tied for the second slot with 46 circuit points, and hence he also collected 29 ATP points including the four bonus.

The winner collected $800, while the runner-up got $600.

More than losing the $200 after a brilliant start when he looked all set to sweep the Japanese off his feet, Aqeel lost a chance to add as many as six ATP points and deny four ATP points for Goodall.-APP