Player of the Week: Mirza Basic

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

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Mirza Basic, a previously unknown player from Bosnia, stunned top seed Stan Wawrinka in the semifinals of Sofia in straight sets. And he didn't stop there.

The world No. 129-ranked qualifier beat Marius Copil 7-6 (6), 6-7 (4), 6-4 in his first-ever ATP final. It marked his seventh straight win.

Since turning pro in 2012, Basic has won seven ITF Futures titles and two ATP Challengers. The 26-year-old showed signs of a promising year by reaching the quarterfinals of Doha (also as a qualifier), but then he lost in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open and fell in the second round of an ATP Challenger in France.

But Basic found magic in the Bulgarian capital. He rose to a career-high No. 77 after the breakthrough week—marking his first time inside the Top 100.

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Player of the Week: Mirza Basic

This Week on Tennis Channel Plus 2/12

ATP Buenos Aires (Feb. 14-18)

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ATP Rotterdam (Feb. 13-14)

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