| Tennis pro loses match to Croatian Marin Cilic | ||
The giant-killing run of tennis sensation Somdev Dev Varman may not have had the happy ending sportslovers of the region were waiting for, but his fans are far from disappointed. The youngster went down fighting in the ATP Chennai Open final this evening, stretching his much higher-ranked opponent to the tie-breaker in the second set. Though Somdev bowed out to Croatian Marin Cilic after a 6-4, 7-6 defeat, the 23-year-old’s family and well-wishers in Guwahati and in Agartala hailed his never-say-die attitude during the tense tie-breaker. “We are very proud of him. Despite being a wild card entry, he put up a good show against the World No. 27,” father Pravanjan said. A retired income tax commissioner, he plans to return to Agartala in February. “Somdev gave his best. That is all we want,” said mother Ranjana said over phone from Chennai. For the residents of the Income Tax Residential Colony in Guwahati’s Beltola, where the Dev Varmans have their official quarters, a round of revelry began since morning, long before the match started. They set up a shamiana, lined up around 100 chairs and installed a projection screen just at the entrance of the colony for all who were keen to watch the “making of history” live under one roof. Said Sumit Purkayastha, an income tax official and a resident of the complex, “Playing in an ATP final is itself a big achievement, more so because he is from the Northeast.” Santanu Saikia, additional director, Income Tax, who lives just below Somdev’s father’s Type-5 quarter, felt the same way. “This is just the beginning. Having turned a pro only five months back, this is simply great. A star has been born. Everybody is talking about him,” he said. The All Assam Tennis Association secretary, Raktim Saikia, went a step further, saying he should be an inspiration to the boys and girls of the Northeast. “If you have noticed, Somdev does not have a great body or height. This should be an eye-opener for the boys and girls of the Northeast where most believe that you need height and muscles to excel in sport. He makes it up with his speed, skill and calmness,” Saikia said. Somdev’s relatives in Tripura, too, took the loss sportingly. “He has lost to a much higher ranked player and after a fight in the second set. We are proud of him as we are sure that he will do better in the future,” said his uncle Dayamay Debbarman said in Agartala. Somdev’s relatives, however, took exception to his being branded as the boy from Assam, asserting he was very much a Tripuri. “He visits Agartala with his parents during holidays and it was only on December 30 that he was here to meet us and other relatives and was also given a reception by the Tripura Tennis Association,” said Dayamay. Tripura Tennis Association secretary Sujit Roy said: “We were really struck by his vivacity and energy. This boy will go miles.” |
Somdev fans salute spirit
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