By MARK REY MONTEJO
AJ Lim fell short in his comeback bid against top local bet Mohamed Safwat, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), but was happy with his International Tennis Federation (ITF) Futures debut.
Reaching the second round of the M25 Sharm El Sheikh in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt was already a good indication that he’s on the right track after a two-year hiatus from competitive tennis.
He made it to the tournament’s main draw round after hurdling three qualifying matches and beat British Adam Jones in the first round, 6-4, 6-1.
Against Safwat, Lim had a lethargic start as he fell into a 5-2 deficit, which was enough for the Egyptian to take the opener despite some resistance from the former PCA champion.
The second frame was much exciting as Lim also rallied from a 5-2 deficit to force a tiebreak by unleashing several wicked shots.
But Safwat stopped Lim in his tracks with his own booming serves, ending the Filipino’s impressive run.
Lim will not return to the country immediately as he is scheduled to play in another tournament.
