Somdevs dream run ends

The packed house had turned up,armed with India flags and shouting at the top of their voices,determined to help Somdev on his way to the title. Wearing headbands identical to the orange one the Indian prefers to sport,his childhood friends from Chennai lined up in special t-shirts which spelt his name out,and they would be the main cheerleaders behind Somdevs orchestra for the evening.

Brief storm

The positive vibes reverberating around him did make their way to the 23-year-old for a brief period in the second set,but unfortunately,Cilic already had his measure by then. Somdev will rue the break points on Cilics serve which simply passed him by,but the Croatian had a plan for every tight situation.

A strong serve,followed by a forehand which would open up the court and send Somdev scrambling for the ball was a strategy that worked to perfection as he got the break just in time to wrap up the first set.

The match looked painfully near its conclusion just a few games into the second set as Cilic racked up a 3-0 lead,but Somdev was soon to give the audience something substantial to cheer.

He fought out the long rallies valiantly and slipped in a few backhand down the lines of his own,and broke his opponent as he served for the set and the match at 5-4. Some got to their feet to applaud his bravery,others preferred to dispense their energy through loud chants and war cries,but at that moment,the life seeped back into Somdevs challenge.

It would only last till the tie-break,though,but the Tripura lads achievement will not fade merely because of a straight sets defeat in this final. Each year,Indian wild cards have struggled to make it past even the first round,but Somdevs talent and tenacity in the face of odds showed he isnt going to be fading away anytime soon. The season is just beginning,and judging by what he has done in the eight months since turning pro,he still has far to go.

Learning curve

Obviously losing is not fun,but performance is also important. The result is also very important,but the level at which I have been playing will take me places. This was a learning experience for me,and thats one of the good things about a loss. I shouldve converted those break points I got,but he played really well too,and came up with good shots. I have to learn all these lessons to be a better player, said Somdev after his match.

I got some chances which I didnt capitalise on,but I dont want to get too negative about this loss,just like I dont get too positive after a win. Im definitely going to analyse what happened, he added.

Quiet and unassuming,Cilic let the elation show on his face as he stepped up to receive the honours,and threw in a few gracious words Somdevs way. Its a very good start to the year,and I will be feeling good going into the Australian Open. This wasnt my best performance of the tournament,but I played well on crucial points. Somdev has very good potential,and he can be top-100 by the end of the year. He will get a lot of confidence from this, he said.

The doubles title was won by the American pair of Eric Butorac and Rajeev Ram,who defeated Jean-Claude Scherrer and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-3,6-4.