‘I played a perfect match’

Somdev Devvarman may have taken some time arriving on the Davis Cup stage, but he did so in style against Chinese Taipei. HT catches up with Indian tennis' man of the moment.

Somdev Devvarman may have taken some time arriving on the Davis Cup stage, but he did so in style against Chinese Taipei. Somdev scored an emphatic 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over world number 59 Yen-Hsun Lu on Sunday. HT catches up with Indian tennis' man of the moment.

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This is the first tie you have won for India, how does it feel?
It's a great feeling winning for India. It's been one of my childhood dreams.

Could you take us through the match?
I played a near perfect match. I stuck to my game plan and executed it well. Lu was feeling the pressure and I made sure I made things as difficult for him as possible. I am very happy with the way I played today.

What was the pressure like going into the match?
The pressure was on him to win. He was in a must-win situation. I was just focussing on executing my game plan and playing my game.

Did you expect to win so comprehensively?
Honestly, not. Having said that, I feel I played really well and kept mounting the pressure on Lu.

How would you describe this week?
It's been an incredible week. The atmosphere in the team was super. We came together as a team and won this tie for India.
You have always stressed on the need for fitness.

Do you think that was the deciding factor in the tie for you?
For sure. I wasn't going to lose on fitness. I knew I had worked really hard on my fitness and I was ready for every challenge.

Also, it's been an incredible three months for you professionally…
I have learnt a lot and I feel I have a lot more to learn. It's a constant journey to become a better tennis player and I intend on focussing on things that are under my control — effort and attitude.