17 March,2011 10:40 AM IST | | PTI
Somdev Devvarman put up a spirited fight against Rafael Nadal but the world number one eventually managed to tame the lion-hearted Indian in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the ATP BNP Paribas Open here.
Somdev went down 5-7 4-6 but not before making the Spaniard work hard for every point in a contest that lasted close to two hours -- the first set alone accounting for more than an hour.
The 26-year-old Indian, known for his fighting spirit and appetite for long-drawn matches, seemed set for another marathon when he was locked 5-5 with Nadal in the opening set itself.
The world number 84 Somdev got a crucial break point in the 11th game, his second of the set, but could not convert it handing the advantage back to the Spaniard.
That is where the difference in rankings and experience showed as Nadal managed to break the Indian in the very next game to finally seal the set in his favour after slogging it out for more than an hour.
The second set went on serve till the eighth game before Nadal managed to convert the only break opportunity to edge past the Indian.
