ATP Sarasota Challenger: Somdev-Bozoljac pair clinch men’s doubles crown

File Photo of Somdev Devvarman of India, who won the ATP Sarasota Challenger Doubles title with Ilija Bozoljac of Serbia. (Getty Images)

India’s Somdev Devvarman made up for his disappointing loss in the men’s singles semifinals to American Alex Kuznetsov in the ATP Sarasota Challenger clay court tennis tournament, being played at the Tennis Gardens of Longboat Key and Resort in Sarasota, Florida, USA, by winning the men’s doubles crown on Sunday.

Somdev, teaming up with Serbian Ilija Bozoljac, outduelled the American pair of Steve Johnson and Bradley Klahn 6-7, 7-6, 11-9 in an intriguing clash.

Interestingly, Somdev beat Bozoljac in the men’s second round but their bonhomie was its best as they dug deep to weather the stiff resistance of the Johnson-Klahn duo.

The opening set went into a tie-break, which the Indo-Serbian pair won 7-6. The American duo were far from throwing in their towel. They fought hard and stretched the second set into a tie-break and won it by the skin of their teeth at 7-6.

The decider was an equally no-holds-barred affair.

Both pairs held serves and finally it was the Somdev-Bozoljac duo, who had the last laugh, winning the third set 11-9 to lay their claim on the winning trophy.

The doubles triumph more than atoned for Somdev’s semifinal defeat in the men’s singles semifinals.

The Indian had gone down 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 to Alex Kuznetsov, who exacted sweet revenge having lost to Somdev in their earlier two meetings.

There would be added satisfaction for Somdev considering the fact that he lost to 271st ranked Kuznetsov, who went on to clinch the singles title, slugging out 120th ranked Wayne Odesnik in straight sets.

Kuznetsov first locked horns with Somdev at the 2009 Aptos Challenger where he lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. The American again came second-best to Somdev at the 2010 Indian Wells hard court tennis tournament, where he lost in three sets 4-6, 6-3-6, 0-6.

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.

The wins over higher ranked players like Levine and Zverev should help Somdev climb in the ATP rankings. The Indian stands a decent chance of breaking into the top-200 when the latest ATP rankings are released.