India No. 1 Somdev Devvarman beat Rik de Voest 3-6, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in a marathon first reverse singles to win the Davis Cup

World Group play-off 3-1 against South Africa on Sunday.

With the victory, India sealed their place in the coveted Davis Cup World Group after a long gap of 11 years. India last played in the World Group in 1998.

Somdev lost first two sets 3-6, 6-7 (3) in an almost two hours long battle, but he resurrected himself in the third set which he won 7-6 (5) in a tie-breaker.

Although Somdev started the third set disastrously, failing to hold his serve in the very first game as Rik took a 2-0 early lead. The 133rd ranked Indian come back strongly as he broke the 189th ranked South African in the fourth game to level the set at 2-2.

The set went for another tie-breaker, which Somdev won 7-5 to clinch the set and took the match to the fourth set.

After winning the third set tie-breaker, Somdev grew in confidence as fatigue catches up with Rik and Somdev blasted the Proteas in the fourth set to win it 6-2 in less than half-an-hour. Somdev broke third and fifth game of the set and hold his service games to lead the match to the fifth set after three and half hours of hardship. Continue Reading »
India enters World Group in Tennis , Somdev Wins reverse Single

Historic day in Davis Cup. Somdev Beat Rik De Voest in Johannesburg in five setter. He was trailing 2-0 after two sets but he came back strongly to win last three sets.

Thus India enters World Group after 11 years.

Top seed Roger Federer made hard work of his US Open clash against Lleyton Hewitt but prevailed in four sets.

The five-time champion renewed his long-serving rivalry against the tenacious Australian with a battling 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-4 victory and awaits the winner of the night match between James Blake and Tommy Robredo.

Federer, who had amassed a 13-match winning streak over Hewitt going into Saturday’s third round, was installed as the red-hot favourite and the predictions looked accurate when the Swiss broke in game seven.

But the 28-year-old world number one suffered a bout of wayward groundstokes out on the Arthur Ashe court and Hewitt capitalised by snatching the first set.

The Australian was playing some vintage tennis going into the second set, but it was soon Hewitt’s turn to become frustrated as chances to break Federer’s serve went amiss.

And the 2001 US Open champion was made to pay as the top seed burst into life in the fourth game before racing through to claim the 30 minute set.

An evenly challenged third set followed, but Federer broke through Hewitt’s defences in the 11th game to grab a stranglehold on the match.

The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion raced through the gears claiming a quick-fire double break in the fourth set and Federer powered his way into the fourth round despite a late resurgence from his opponent.