New Delhi: India’s top singles star Somdev Devvarman lifted his third ATP Challenge title as he outclassed top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3 6-1 in the final of the Delhi Open here on Sunday.
The start to the title clash was great but Nedovyesov’s challenge fizzled out as the game wore on. The way Somdev dominated the proceedings was evident with the fact that he conceded just 10 points on his eight service games.
Out of these, five were conceded only in the fifth game of the second set.
Playing his fourth Challenger level final, Somdev needed 59 minutes to bag his third title and first since 2010 when he had triumphed in Izmir Turkey. His first title came in 2008 in Lexington, USA.
Nedovyesov was gunning for his fourth Challenger title but it was not his day. Nothing worked for him even as he made a superb start, hinting a cracker of contest was in store.
“Aleksandr is a fantastic player. He made it incredibly tough for me initially. He was struggling a but after that, I wish him success for the rest of the season,” Somdev said after the win.
“I don’t remember when was the last time I won a match losing just 10 points on my serve. I had never won without dropping a set, so it is definitely one of my best performances,” Somdev said later at the post match press conference.
“Tennis is a brutal sport. In a main draw, 31 players go losing and only one win. It’s not easy. So whenever I win, I enjoy, I cherish. And I am happy to have played and won in India.”
Meanwhile, Chinese eighth seed Qiang Wang won the women’s event by outplaying the third seed Ukrainian Yulia Beygelzimer 6-1, 6-3 in the summit clash.
Wang had also ousted the top seed Japanese Erika Sema in the quarterfinal. (PTI)