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Indian campaign came to an end in the ATP Sarasota Challenger clay court tennis tournament, being played at the Tennis Gardens of Longboat Key and Resort in Sarasota, Florida, USA, with Somdev Devvarman being shown the door in the semifinals.
The country’s highest ranked men’s singles player, who toppled two higher ranked opponents en route to the last four stage, went down in three sets 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 to Alex Kuznetsov of USA.
The win was a sweet revenge for the 271st ranked American, who lost to Somdev in their earlier two meetings.
Kuznetsov first met Somdev in the 2009 Aptos Challenger where he lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. Again at the 2010 Indian Wells hard court tennis tournament, the American lost in three sets 4-6, 6-3-6, 0-6 to the Indian.
Kuznetsov was quick off the blocks in the opening set, attaining high percentage of first serves even as Somdev was always under pressure owing to his inconsistent first serve.
Unforced errors compounded his woes as well as the American broke his serve twice to take the opening set 6-3.
The Indian rebounded in the second set. Somdev showed more aggression and broke Kuznetsov’s serve on a regular basis to pocket the second set 6-1.
The match had all the ingredients of an exciting finish with one set all. The American regained his composure and dished out some solid tennis,
Kuznetsov broke Somdev’s serve when it mattered in the decider and the outcome was a mere formality.
The Indian seemed resigned to his fate as the American held his serves to bag the third set 6-3 to set up a final date with countryman 120th ranked Wayne Odesnik – the highest seeded player left in the tournament. Odesnik outplayed Ukraine’s 238th ranked Denys Molchanov 7-6. 6-7, 6-1.
Molchanov earlier had put out 104th ranked Guido Pella of Argentina in the quarterfinals 7-6, 4-6, 7-5.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Somdev quelled the challenge of 152nd ranked German Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-2. The Indian had earlier beaten the German, in their only earlier meeting in three sets 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the 2012 ATP Charlottesville Challenger.
This was Somdev’s second win over a higher ranked player in the tournament.
The Indian had earlier defeated 93rd ranked Jesse Levine of Canada in the first round. Somdev had got the better of Serbia’s 332nd ranked Ilija Bozoljac in the second round.
The wins over Zverev and Levine should help Somdev climb in the ATP rankings.
