Adrian Mannarino defeats Somdev Devvarman in the first round of Open de Nice Côte d’Azur
French Adrian Mannarino, ranked 53rd in the world, prevailed over top ranked Indian on tour Somdev Devvarman in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(7) in the first round of the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur at Nice Lawn Tennis Club on
Sunday. It took the French an hour and 55 minutes to undo his opponent.
Mannarino and Devvarman held their serve in the first four games of the opening set to level the score at 2-2. After that, the French claimed three successive games, breaking Devvarman in the sixth game to take a 5-2 lead. Devvarman
held his serve in the eighth game to reduce Mannarino’s lead to 5-3. However, the French succeeded in serving out the set in the next game, winning it 6-3.
Mannarino and Devvarman served pretty ordinarily as they failed to hit any ace in the first set. Both players had a below average first serve percentage in the opening set. Mannarino hit just 47 percent of the first deliveries,
winning 71 percent of the points on them. Whereas, Devvarman delivered a mere 43 percent of the first serves and claimed 75 percent of the points on them. The Indian did not receive any break point on his opponent’s serve and failed to save one of the five
break points on his own serve in the first set.
After winning a comfortable first set, Mannarino was looking to seal the match quickly as he broke the Indian in the opening game of the second set and held his serve in the next game to go ahead 2-0. However, Devvarman was in
no mood to surrender easily as he broke back in the sixth game, squaring off the score at 3-3. Both players held their serve in the next four games to take the score to 5-5. Mannarino broke again in the 11th game, taking a 6-5 lead.
However, once again the French failed to consolidate on the break of serve, levelling the score at 6-6 and taking the set to a tie-breaker. The left-handed managed to capture a late mini-break in the tie-break, winning it 9-7.
The six feet tall fired a couple of aces and 50 percent of the first serves in the second set. Mannarino bagged 61 percent of the first service points in the second set. On the other hand, Devvarman had a higher first serve percentage,
delivering 63 percent of the first serves and grabbing 67 percent of the points on them. The Indian capitalized on two of the seven break point opportunities he created on his opponent’s serve but failed in saving both break points on his own serve in the
second set.
Mannarino is slated to take on world number 6 Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic in the second round. The Czech, seeded second at the event, received a bye in the opening round.
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