Somdev loses to Hewitt from the brink of victory

India's Somdev Devvarman had ample opportunities to overpower former World No. 1 and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in a pulsating three-setter but went down 1-6, 6-0, 7-6(2) in second round at the US men's clay court championship tennis in Houston.

India's Somdev Devvarman had ample opportunities to overpower former World No. 1 and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in a pulsating three-setter but went down 1-6, 6-0, 7-6(2) in second round at the US men's clay court championship tennis here.

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The 116th-ranked Somdev breezed through the first set before fourth-seeded Hewitt, playing his first match after a hip surgery in January, bounced back to take the second, conceding only two points, to make it a set-all.

In the decider, Somdev broke back twice and was serving for the match at 6-5. But he could not hold his serve and that window of opportunity was enough for Hewitt to reel off six points in the tie-break and close the match.

Hewitt now faces Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela for a spot in the semi-finals.