Somdev Devvarman - an unfinished warrior

The gritty Somdev Devvarman is a warrior of royal lineage with a healthy appetite for gutsy battle. But despite his best efforts to better himself, the 28 year old from Guwahati has consistently struggled to make a mark on the biggest stages of the game.

Somdev Devvarman

Last week’s loss to Andreas Seppi in the second round of the US Open came in his eleventh foray to the Grand Slams. The memory of eight first round losses and three in the second must be weighing on his ambitious mind. The two time NCAA champion probably has a couple of seasons left to try and improve on that record, but can he scale higher?

While an untimely injury robbed valuable time from the Indian, when he was at his peak, the fact is that the clock is ticking away. Just before the shoulder injury struck a cruel blow, Somdev did work his way to 62^nd in the world, but for the most part, his ranking has remained stuck outside the top 100.

As a result, the Charlottesville resident has been forced to earn his place in the draw by working his way through the qualifiers. To be fair, since his Grand Slam debut at the US Open in 2009, Somdev has mostly managed to earn a spot at the big events. But coming through qualifiers is often an energy sapping exercise, hardly an ideal preparation for a Grand Slam.

Besides, qualifiers end up with a rough draw. At the US Open in 2009, Somdev lost to 24^th ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber in four sets. At Wimbledon in 2011, his second round opponent was the 17^th ranked Mikhail Youzhny. At the US Open immediately after that, he was up against Andy Murray in the first round.

At the Australian Open this year, Somdev was at the receiving end of a tough five set loss against 26^th ranked Jerzy Janowicz. In the summer in Paris, Somdev was offered a lesson by his idol Roger Federer in the second round of the French Open. Each of those results were tough without doubt, but entirely plausible considering the gap in their games.

If Somdev wishes to nurture his dreams, he might have to work backwards and strive for some significant results to help improve his ranking. Since he is back to full fitness, Somdev and Coach Scott McCain will need to work a schedule built around ATP World Tour 250 events. Now that he shall be back in the top 100, he should be able to get into some of these tournaments directly.

Somdev has made two finals at the 250 level – Chennai in 2009 and Johannesburg in 2011. However, he lost to Marin Cilic and Kevin Anderson respectively in those two events. There is no question that Somdev has the skills and fitness needed to thrive on the professional tour. Unfortunately for the Indian, he has struggled at times with his consistency.

An interesting number from Somdev’s career win-loss record of 52-63 is that nearly a quarter of those matches have gone the distance, meaning either the third or fifth set. The stat underlines the resilient character of the fighting Indian, who has constantly been striving to fulfil his potential. As a young man, Somdev established quite a reputation when he reached the NCAA finals three times in a row, a feat only three other men have managed over the past 63 years.

Of course, Somdev does have the gold medals from the 2010 Commonwealth and Asian Games, but that is a haul that hardly does any justice to a two-time NCAA champion. Grit and determination drive the pursuit of this hard working Indian, and his 12-13 win-loss record in matches that went the distance bear testimony to his grinding ethic.

But the clock is ticking away furiously. Somdev possibly has two, at best three, years to leave an imprint on the singles tour before he considers a possible transition into doubles. Indian fans will be wishing the spirited man does well enough to earn the lasting respect he deserves in the pantheon of Indian tennis.