Melbourne: Somdev Devvarman, who is demanding better playing conditions in Davis Cup from AITA, started his Australian Open campaign in style as he cruised past Germany's Bjorn Phau in the opening round of the men's singles event, here.
Somdev, whose ranking has plummeted to 551, defeated Phau, who is ranked 78, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in close to a two-hour match here.
The 27-year-old Indian will next take on the winner of another first round match between Simone Bolelli of Italy and Polish Jerzy Janowicz.
Somdev converted two of the three break point chances that came his way and also hit a couple of aces to comfortably move ahead in the opening set which lasted for 31 minutes.
In the second set, which lasted for 44 minutes, Somdev double faulted once but won two of the four break point chances.
Somdev took another 35 minutes to wrap up the match as he broke the German twice and also had a better second serve winning percentage then Phau in the third set.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.