UVa star sets new record

By Ed Burton
Published: May 22, 2008

TULSA, Okla. — Virginia’s remaining tennis hopes advanced in singles and doubles at the NCAA Individual Championships on Thursday. No. 1 Somdev Devvarman defeated Clancey Shields of Boise State 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the round of 16. Devvarman’s 14th career NCAA Championship victory set a new record.

In doubles play, the top-seeded team of Devvarman and Treat Huey also advanced to the round of 16 by defeating the Alabama duo of Daniel Buikema and Mathieu Thibaudeau 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Devvarman’s match was not without its tense moments. In the first set, Devvarman and Shields won their first four service games to reach 4-4.  Devvarman won the next eight points, breaking Shields’ serve at love and winning his own serve at love to take the first set 6-4.

Shields had his chances in the second set. Serving at 1-2, Devvarman fought a break point to even the set. Devvarman found himself down 30-40 while serving at 2-3 and saved the break point with a forehand that angled out of Shields’ reach to bring the game back to deuce. Devvarman held serve and the players traded service game victories to reach 5-5.

Down 15-40 on his serve, Shields fought off one break point but Devvarman took the second break point to lead 6-5. Devvarman then held his serve to decide the match.

Devvarman and Huey got an early break in game five of the doubles match when they rattled off four straight points from a 40-15 deficit. Devvarman was serving for the first set at 5-4 and was broken at love by a combination of good returns by Alabama and errant volleys by the Virginia duo before the Cavs won the tiebreaker 7-3.

The victory over Alabama gave the UVa pair sweet revenge for a loss two years ago against Buikema and Thibaudeau in a regular-season team match.

Devvarman faces Erling Tviet of Mississippi today. In doubles, Devvarman and Huey will take on Texas A&M’s Austin Krajicek and Conor Pollack.