India’s Somdev Devvarman defeated Denis Gremelmayr of Germany 6-2, 6-3 to enter the second round of the men’s singles event at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic here.
It took the 62nd-ranked Indian less than an hour to close the match on Tuesday night.
Somdev had defeated Gremelmayr at Wimbledon earlier this year, where the German retired trailing 4-6, 2-4.
In the first round match, Somdev sprinted through the first set in 20 minutes. He then broke Gremelmayr in the seventh game of the second set before serving out the set and the match.
“I was having a great day serving and felt really comfortable in the rallies,” said Somdev.
“My goal this year is to reach the top 50 in the world. I have some work to do to get there, but that is my goal.”
Somdev now plays seventh seed Marcos Baghdatis, whom he had beaten in the second round of the Indian Wells this year.
“The last time I played Baghdatis, it was in desert conditions. The court was slower. These courts will be faster. I need to hold serve and try to get an early break. I feel very confident going into the match,” he said.
