Somdev avenges loss, enters final

NEW DELHI: India's highest-ranked singles player, Somdev Devvarman, showed his class by advancing to the final of ONGC-GAIL Delhi Open at the DLTA Complex.
Somdev, seeded second, overcame a poor start to get the better of fourth seed Evgeny Donskoy of Russia 6-4, 6-2 in 88 minutes to advance to his fourth Challenger final. Donskoy, ranked No. 114 in the world, had ousted Somdev in the semifinals in Kolkata but the Indian refused to call it a revenge victory.
"I am happy I could win but wouldn't call it a revenge win. When you play against quality players, especially ones you have lost to in the recent past, you want to fight hard and make life tough for them," the world No. 96 said.
After trailing 0-3 in the first set, Somdev broke the Russian in the fifth and seventh games but was broken again in the eighth. In the ninth, Donskoy had two set points but an erratic backhand return and a long forehand helped Somdev take a 5-4 lead. He served it out, sealing the set with a stringing forehand winner.
Strong serving by Somdev - 75% first serves in the first set and 68% overall - helped him in the keenly-contested encounter. The second set was all about long rallies with both failing to hold serve.
With the match poised at 2-2, Somdev started to edge ahead by forcing the Russian to commit errors.
Somdev will take on Kazakhstan's Aleksandr Nedovyesov, who overcame a fighting Serbian Ilija Bozoljac 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in the final. Somdev hasn't won a Challenger since his last win in Turkey in 2010.
In women's final, Ukraine's Yuliya Beygelzimer will take on China's Qiang Wang. Beygelzimer beat compatriot Olga Savchuk 6-2, 6-1 while Wange disposed off Ilona Kremen of Belarus 6-2, 6-3.