The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Somdev keeps title

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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Somdev keeps title

Special Correspondent

— File Photo

Somdev Dev Varman.

NEW DELHI: Davis Cupper Somdev Dev Varman finished his stint at the University of Virginia in style by defending the singles title in the NCAA tennis championship at Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Monday.

In the final, the top-seeded Indian defeated unseeded J.P. Smith of Tennessee University 6-3, 6-2, in capturing his second title in three successive finals.

“It is definitely a great feeling. This one is probably more special because it came in my last match as a Cavalier,” Somdev was quoted as saying after the match.

Elite group

Somdev became the 13th player in the 124-year-history of the tournament to win consecutive titles.

He also joined two others, Sargis Sargsian (1995) and Benjamin Kohlloeffel (2006) as the only players to win the ITA National indoor singles championship and the NCAA singles championship in the same season.

Significantly, Somdev took his singles record in the season to 44-1, getting close to Jimmy Connors who went undefeated in 1971. He finished with a 36-match winning streak.

The 23-year-old Chennai lad,would be playing a series of tournaments in the U.S., to establish himself on the professional circuit.

Somdev had beaten the 6’ 9” tall John Isner of the U.S. in the final last year to become the first Indian ever to clinch the singles title in the NCAA history.

Somdev would be keen to emulate Isner who has done remarkably well on the professional circuit to be ranked No. 85 in the world.

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