Somdev advances, Bopanna crashes out of Tashkent challenger

September 24th, 2009 No. 2-seed Shahar Peer advances at Tashkent OpenTASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Second-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel beat Kathrin Woerle of Germany 6-2, 6-4 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Tashkent Open. The 46th-ranked Peer is looking for her second straight title after winning the Guangzhou Open last weekend.

September 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Somdev Devvarman has said Rohan Bopanna's sensational victory over South Africa No.1 Rik De Voest on the opening day inspired him to stage a fight back and win the crucial reverse singles to take India to the elite World Group of Davis Cup tennis for the first time in 11 years. Bopanna, who was coming back from a injury, upset De Voest to give India a 2-0 lead, after Somdev won the first rubber against Izak Van der Merwe Friday.

September 19th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - India's Davis Cup captain S.P. Misra is confident that the team will seal their World Group play-off tie here against South Africa in Sunday's first reverse singles after the contest spilled into the third day with the withdrawal of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna from the doubles rubber midway Saturday.

September 18th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - India's No. 1 Somdev Devvarman lived up to expectations, overpowering South Africa's second singles player Izak van der Merwe 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first rubber of the Davis Cup World Group tennis play-off at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday.

September 18th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Rohan Bopanna in a dramatic turnaround shocked South Africa's No.1 player Rik de Voest, after Somdev Devvarman won the first rubber, to give India a 2-0 lead on Day One of the World Group tennis play-off here Friday. In a tenacious display, Bopanna, making a comeback from a three-month injury lay-off after a knee surgery, overpowered Voest 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday.

September 18th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Somdev Devvarman gave India a 1-0 lead against South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group tennis play-off at Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday. Playing the opening singles match, India No.

September 18th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Rohan Bopanna gave India a 2-0 lead against South Africa after beating their No.1 player Rik De Voest 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in the second singles rubber on day one of the Davis Cup World Group tennis play-off tie at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday. Earlier, India's No.1 Somdev Devvarman beat Izak van der Merwe 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first singles match.

September 17th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Rohan Bopanna will be the man under pressure when India take on South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tennis tie, from Sep 18-20, at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Friday. In the absence of experienced doubles campaigner Leander Paes, who has pulled out of the tie due to a shoulder injury, Bopanna will now have to pair with Mahesh Bhupathi in crucial doubles tie besides playing two matches as the second singles player.

August 13th, 2009 NEW YORK - Third seeds Prakash Amritraj of India and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan have entered the second round of the doubles at the Levene Gouldin & Thomas Tennis Challenger here at Binghamton, beating Americans Lester Cook and John Paul Gruttero, 6-3, 6-2. However, Prakash's compatriot Somdev Devvarman was on the losing side Wednesday, partnering his Virginia University buddy Treaty Huey of the Philippines.

August 12th, 2009 BINGHAMTON - India's Somdev Devvarman went down fighting while Prakash Amritraj advanced in the $50,000 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) challenger tournament here. Somdev, seeded eighth, lost to Ukranian Sergei Bubka 6-7 (3), 5-7 while Prakash rallied from behind to register a fighting 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-3 win over American Ryler Deheart here Tuesday.

July 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's No.1 Somdev Devevarman has slumped 25 places to 152nd position in the recent Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings, released Monday. Somdev, who is playing in the LA Tennis Open qualifiers, had touched his career best ranking of 127 last week.

July 19th, 2009 APTOS - Sixth-seeded Somdev Devvarman of India crashed out of the semi-final of the $75,000 Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) Challenger with a 2-6, 1-6 loss to Australian Davis Cupper Chris Guccione. The seventh seeded Australian in the final plays compatriot Nick Lindahl, the qualifier who beat Michael Yani 6-4, 6-4.

July 18th, 2009 APTOS - India's Somdev Devvarman defeated South African Davis Cupper Izak van der Merwe 6-4, 6-2 to enter the semi-final of the $75,000 Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) Challenger. The win will stand in good stead for Somdev, who will spearhead India's singles challenge against South Africa in the Davis Cup World Group play-off in Johannesburg.

June 5th, 2009 NOTTINGHAM - India's Prakash Amritraj registered a fighting win over seventh-seeded Australian Davis Cupper Chris Guccione to storm into the quarter-finals of 42,500 euros Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger. Prakash played two tie-breakers before winning 7-6(5), 7-6(4) at the grass courts here Thursday.

June 4th, 2009 NOTTINGHAM - India No.1 Somdev Devvarman went down fighting to Australian qualifier Samuel Groth 6-7(4), 7-6(10), 4-6 while Rohan Bopanna survived a stiff challenge from Russian Alexandre Kudryavtasev in the first round of 42,500 euros ATP challenger tennis tournament here. Bopanna, who made it to the main draw through the qualifiers, rallied from a set down to win 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 at the grasscourt here Wednesday.