Somdev Devvarman's heart and desire can get him into the top 100s

Going into Tuesday’s match, not many gave Somdev Devvarman much of a chance against the no. 24 seed Jerzy Janowicz in their second round encounter at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Devvarman is still finding his way back to form after shoulder surgery forced him to miss six months in 2012 and Janowicz is one the young stars in the sport with a game to match his 6ft 8 inch frame.

But tennis is more than just about forehands, backhands and serve. It’s as much about speed, endurance, mental toughness and heart. And Somdev showed all that and more in Tuesday’s match. If the Indian manages to remain healthy in 2013, he should be back in the top 100 by the end of the year. That’s a big ask considering he was ranked in the 700s at the start of the season, but certainly not impossble given his performance today. (Somedev should move close to no. 405 in the rankings after the Australian Open).

Early on in the match, both players seemed to be playing within themselves. Janowicz was going for winners – getting some, missing others – while Somdev was playing his patient counterpunching game. As both players countinued to hold their serve, it seemed destined to be decided by a tie-breaker. Somdev had a glimpse of a chance at 6-5, 40-30 on his opponent’s serve but Janowicz managed to come out of that hole and sent the set to a tie-breaker. Once there, Somdev took the early lead, only to let Janowicz back in. With both players having set points, the difference was that the Indian maintained his composure while Janowicz seemed to lose his – something else that he is getting known for besides his powerful game and drop shot ability. Somdev clinched a tense tie-breaker 12-10 to take a one set lead.

The two once again began the second set in the same manner as the first with both holding serve through the first six games. That’s when Janowicz went for a mental timeout. The Pole sprayed his forehand all over Court no. 10 (mostly outside the lines), missed some easy winners, looked disinterested and made some dubious shot selection. Somdev played steady and soon the Indian was up 7-6, 6-3.

Knowing that he would have to go five sets in the Melbourne heat against a tenacious opponent, it would have been easy at this point for the Pole to give up. But showing signs of maturity, Janowicz began the third set as if he decided to wipe away the memories of the first two. He kept his composure, hit big serves and blasted winners off his forehand and backhand – playing big but controlled tennis.

When Janowicz’s game is on, most players would be able to do little besides hoping that the Pole would go off the boil. Devvarman is no exception here. Janowicz pounced over the Indian’s serve and groundtrokes to win third set 6-1 and the fourth set 6-0.

Devvarman needed a medical timeout at the start of the fifth. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with his shoudler. Instead, his left forearm seemed to be bothering him and the trainer was seen massaging it on changeovers. Janowicz continued his purple patch and moved ahead 5-2 in the decider.

And just when it looked like the match was all but over, there was one final twist in the tale. With the match closing in on four hours, Janowicz himself was sufferng from a painful blister in his right hand, which made it difficult for him to grip the racket for long. Deciding to keep the poinnts short, the Pole went for winners and attacked the net, often missing his mark. Devvarman broke back and held again to level the match at 5-5.

The Indian showed heart to fight back and one could sense an upset brooming. But in the end, it was not be Devvarman’s day. Janowicz held for 6-5 and managed to break the Indian once again to complete a 6-7, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 win that sends him through to the third round.

There are good losses and bad losses and Devvarman can certainly leave Melbourne with his held high afer this one. On the back of a msierable 2012, where he only played a handful of matches, the Indian managed to extend one of the rising stars of the game to the brink. The 27 year old may not be contending for grand slam titles in the future but based on today’s performance, he should not need his protected ranking or wild cards to take his place in the main draws of the major events in the months ahead.