It will be a battle of No 1s in the final of the 2nd Leg of the Brunei Darussalam Tennis Association (BDTA) Open Men's Singles today.
Brunei's No 1 Mohd Aiman Abdullah booked his berth in the final after ousting top seed Nurul Mohd Andi Hambali 6-3, 6-0 last night at the National Tennis Centre of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
He will be up against the former No 1 Pg Aki Ismasufian Pg Hj Ibrahim, who ran away with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bakurutheenn Ali in his last-four match. Aiman was delighted with his performance and is looking forward to meeting his doubles partner in the championship decider.
"I'm happy with my game as I know that Andi has a strong forehand. I was able to counter his shot by being more consistent and aggressive at the same time," said Aiman in an interview with The Brunei Times after the triumph.
"I've no expectations for the final but I'm excited to play against him (Aki). I'm going to give my best tomorrow (Sunday)," he added. "Win or lose it is out of my hand. Aki is a bronze medallist at the SEA Games and a fourth-time champion of Borneo and I can tell you that he is on form at the moment," continued the 22-year-old.
Pg Aki believes that he is the underdog in the encounter but is hoping to put up a challenge against his younger counterpart. "I'm looking forward to that match. I have nothing to lose as Aiman is the current top player," said Pg Aki.
"I hope that I can give him a good fight and most importantly enjoy the game," he concluded. The final will begin at 7pm.
