Melbourne, Jan 16 (Inditop.com) India’s Somdev Devvarman tripped at the doorstep of the Australian Open and failed to qualify for the main draw, losing his third and last qualifying round to Slovenian Blaz Kavcic, 3-6, 6-7(4) here Saturday.
Somdev could have won both the sets as he had an early service break in the first and in the second he was serving for the set at 5-3, but he just could not press home the advantage and lost.
In the battle of baseliners, Somdev snatched an early break for a 3-2 lead but the 12th-seeded Kavcic forced his way back to take the next four games.
The 24-year-old Somdev, ranked 161 and seeded 27th, struggled with his serve in the second set and was soon a break down.
The Indian, however, broke back in the sixth game and was soon serving for the set at 5-3. But he once again dropped his serve.
Kavcic then held serve for 5-5 and as Somdev prepared to serve, the 126th-ranked Slovenian called for a medical time-out.
The delay clearly unsettled Somdev, who tossed his racquet after remonstrating with the umpire. Kavcik returned to the court to hold his serve and as did Somdev in the next game to force a tie-breaker.
After losing the tie-breaker and the match, an angry Somdev refused to shake Kavcic’s hand at the net.
Kavcic said at times in the first set he couldn’t breathe, but things got worst in the second set.
“It (the first set) was a little bit worrying. But then at the start of the second set I started to freeze and I was a little bit afraid for my health. That’s why I called the doctor — because I didn’t know what was going on with me.”
Somdev’s only entry at a Grand Slam main draw was at the US Open last year.
rounak