2009 U.S. Open

[NHolla]

Great job Somdev on giving us grand slam main round action. Hope you can win one more round and improve ranking further

[atula]

A Good job by Somdev Varman to pack off the opponent.

Now for the Main-Draw.

Somdev has nothing to lose, and it would really do him good if he wins a couple of rounds and damages the Draw.


He certainly has the game.

We all saw his groundstrokes at The Chennai Open 2009.

The more he wins, the more Pts and Money does he get.

And we musn't forget, he is in the Big Apple.

You can have it, and eat it toooo.

Over to Somdev!!!

[S_K_S]

Congrats to Somdev. It has been a long wait to see someone make their way into the main draw of a slam. Believe that you belong and just do what has got you there.

<edit> Just been reading through the Somdev thread by clicking on page 1 and it's fantastic to take a walk through memory lane. March 12th 2004 was when PKB created the thread. 1996 days later here we are applauding the entry into the US Open.

[punarayan]

Thank you Somdev! It's along time coming since there was a main draw entry on the men's side from India. Last time I enjoyed a men's single's match at the USO was Lee playing Pioline. I don't seem to remember when - along time. The best time of the year is next week, when I can see an Indian play on a side court (hopefully), feel the excitement start to build when the match is about to begin - I never get tired of it. Anybody else there for the first round? Gautam? Ashish?

[jayakris]

I will never forget that match against Pioline. Third round at USO. The farthest Leander ever went in a grad slam. He was up two sets to one and seemed to be cruising in the 4th when he decided to change his raquet (the commentators even said he was showing some strange nerves or something - it was somewhat noticeable) .. He proceeded to lose a bunch of points and lose initiative. Pioline killed him after that. One of those strange Lee quirks. He should have won that match. I was so waiting to see Lee play Chang in the next round - to see how the two quickest players on tour would look against each other. But alas, that never happened.

Well, after a whole 12 years since that loss, we finally have a player earning his way into the US Open. Congratulations, Somi!!!

Jay

[Kumar]

Congrats Somi...
When was the last time an Indian player qualified into Main draw of GS.. If my memory serves correct, was it Bhupathi in wimbledon?

[jayakris]

I had posted it above, kumar.. Leander at the Wimbledon in 2001.

Jay

[gvhvhg]

Fantastic! Congratulations to Somdev! And how I have waited for this day--only the second Indian man (Prakash played for the US in his only main draw appeareance) to play in the main draw of a grand slam this decade.

Unfortunately this wonderful occasion will be the first time in ten years that I am not attending the US Open. I am studying in Cairo, Egypt for the semester. But I'm not too bummed because I don't see this as a one off. Somdev shall be playing in many more US Opens to come I am sure!

Go Somdev!

[Saniapower]

Sania has Monday(day 1) schedule
Court 13
11:00 Start
Samantha Stosur(AUS)[15] vs. Ai Sugiyama(JPN)
Marion Bartoli(FRA)[14] vs. Rossana De Los Rios(PAR)
Olga Govortsova(BLR) vs. Sania Mirza(IND)
Philipp Kohlschreiber(GER)[23] vs. Andreas Seppi(ITA)

[Saniapower]

Somdev will clash with one of them in the 1st round:

Nikolay Davydenko RUS (8)
Tommy Robredo ESP (14)
Tommy Haas GER (20)
Sam Querrey USA (22)
Igor Andreev RUS (29)
Viktor Troicki SRB (30)

Christophe Rochus BEL
Frederico Gil POR
Simon Greul GER
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez ESP
Potito Starace ITA
Yen-Hsun Lu TPE
Rajeev Ram USA

But if luck favors Somdev then he could also face another qualifier(there will be 4 qualifiers in the draw facing another qualifier)

[arjun2761]

Somdev gets the 110 ranked Frederico Gil in the first round. Very winnable match up for Somdev. Gil looks like his doppelganger at almost the same age and height and is a counter puncher who gives trouble to Somdev. But Somdev is in better form now and should prevail. Likely second round round opponent is 24 ranked Kohlschreiber (if he beats 48th ranked Seppi).

[puneets]

Congratulations Buji.
Looks like he's scheduled for 2nd match on Court 15 (11 am start)

[PKBasu]

Marvellous, marvellous day! An Indian playing in the men's singles at the US Open after a very long time, and the very first time (in the Open era) that an Indian will be in the main draw of both the men's and women's singles. There is an NRI (Rajeev Ram) in men's singles too, and ofcourse lots of doubles action as usual. My daughter's first reaction was to ask whether I was planning to get to New York. There isn't time enough to make the R1 matches, but I will follow vicariously through punarayan especially.

[kishorJ]

Somdev's opponent too seems to be in good form. Just reached third round in Pilot pen beating baghdatis on the way. He has had wins in 2009 over lubicic, martin, almagro, karlovic, zverev and has taken a set off blake, ferrer, paul henri matheau, hewitt.

Somdev made no unforced error in his last match. Pretty unusually remarkable!

[Insider]

Somdev's opponent will be the favorite in his first round match. I would be impressed and delighted if Buji could pull off the upset.

Rajeev plays world #103 Josselin Ouanna. Rajeev should probably win based on current form.