Somdev misses title again, ends runner-up at South African Open

BANGALORE: Rain and thunder wrecked Somdev Devvarman's run in the $500,000 SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg on Sunday. While rain twice stalled a good opening effort from the India No.1, his opponent's thunderous serves ensured Somdev was felled in the title round. Fourth-seed Kevin Anderson, from Johannesburg, rode the conditions superbly, to score a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win that bagged him his first ATP Tour title
The champion was richer by $76,500 and 250 points while the runner-up took home $40,300 and 150 points.Somdev, 25, ranked 110 in the world, who had climbed to a career-high ranking of 94 last year, will now vault into the top-80 of the world rankings in the new release on Monday.
Anderson, who is 6ft 8' and ranked 59 in the world, got his serve to talk. Typically, the popular fourth-seed, stormed to 40-love in the opening game of the match, but the Indian won the next four points to wrench a break-point opportunity. The local hero, however, closed out the game on the back of some big serving.
The first break of serve in the final came in the third game of the match. The Indian sneaked ahead and though Anderson brought the game back to deuce, Somdev took on his fancied opponent's second serve in his third break-point chance. The break of serve was followed by a 30-minute rain interruption.
When play resumed under cloudy skies, Somdev seemed to have picked up form where he left, racing to 40-15, but the skies opened again. The match was then stopped for nearly an hour. On resumption, Somdev held to take a 3-1 lead, but Anderson took the next two games, breaking the Indian at love to level scores.
Somdev, repaid the compliment in the seventh game, coming from behind to break the South African, pouncing on a second serve in his second opportunity of the game. The unseeded battler then went on to close out the set in the 10th game on his second set point.
In the second set, games went with serves, but not before the Indian survived a spot of bother in the fourth game in which he led 40-0. Anderson pushed the game to deuce and even had a breakpoint which Somdev saved with his seventh ace of the match. Relief was short for the Indian, who was broken in the sixth game. Anderson then closed out the set in the ninth game.
In the decider, Somdev survived a troublesome third game where he came back from 15-40, only to be broken in the fifth game. Somdev had three chances to break Anderson at love-40 in the sixth game, but some good serving let the South African out of jail. The 24-year-old then broke again in the seventh game before serving out the match after 2 hours and 20 minutes.