The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Somdev advances

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Somdev advances

WASHINGTON DC: India’s Somdev Dev Varman survived a second-set slump to beat American fellow qualifier Robert Kendrick 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5 on Thursday and progress to the quarterfinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

On a day of close second round matches, Andy Roddick survived two match points to edge Eduardo Schwank 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), and Russian Igor Kunitsyn downed Italian Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6).

Dev Varman, the 2007 and 2008 NCAA men’s singles champion, was up 4-1 in the second set but lost the lead and needed three sets to earn his second career ATP win.

Argentine Schwank doubled faulted on the second of his match points, giving a reprieve to the top-seeded Roddick, who will meet Viktor Troicki in the quarterfinals, after the Serb beat American Bobby Reynolds 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Late finish

So tight were all the matches that Kunitsyn only clinched his win at nearly 1.30 a.m. local time. Roddick appeared to take the drama out of the third set when he grabbed a 4-1 lead. But Schwank stormed back and broke Roddick’s serve twice to go up 5-4 and serve for the match.

Schwank, who started the year ranked No. 171 and has risen to 56th, built a 40-15 lead for his match-point opportunities but his double fault seemed to turn the momentum in Roddick’s favour. Once the match went to the tiebreaker, Roddick took control. He earned a roar from the home crowd with a winner down the line to go up 5-1 and capped the win with two strong serves Schwank had trouble returning.

Roddick said late in the match he noticed Schwank relying more on a serve-and-volley game, shying away from Roddick’s more aggressive play.

“I saw that, and I don’t know if that’s a game he’s completely comfortable with,” Roddick said. “I knew if I could make him play, stick to that game, I probably had a decent shot at the breaker.”

13 deuces

The sixth game of the first set went to deuce 13 times, with Roddick unable to convert any of seven break points.

Roddick was nearly broken again in the next game. After going down 40-0, he hit a ball over the stands and out of the stadium in frustration before coming back to hold serve.

Roddick broke Schwank for the first time in the second set’s final game. Schwank’s drop attempt went into the net.

The results (second round): At Washington DC (Legg Mason Classic): Viktor Troicki bt Bobby Reynolds 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Andy Roddick bt Eduardo Schwank 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2); Somdev Dev Varman bt Robert Kendrick 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5; Igor Kunitsyn bt Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6).

At Cincinnati (Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open): Amélie Mauresmo bt Yanina Wickmayer 6-3, 6-1; Aleksandra Wozniak bt Julia Vakulenko 6-2, 6-3; Vania King bt Jamea Jackson 6-1, 6-4. — Agencies

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