A purposeful return

On many Monday nights, at an eatery on the Corner, you can find Virginia senior Somdev Devvarman playing his guitar and singing the songs of his favorite band.
“I love music and I love the Dave Matthews Band,” Devvarman said.
“I have a couple of my own tunes and my own lyrics, which I put my own philosophies into. But I’m not sure they’re ready to come out yet. They’re still rough. I’m still working on them.”
You might say that Devvarman’s musical talents aren’t quite on par with his tennis abilities.
That, of course, would be an extremely tall order.
What Devvarman has done on the tennis court for the University of Virginia since stepping foot on campus nearly four years ago is almost akin to what the Charlottesville-rooted Dave Matthews Band has accomplished in the world of music.
Last season, Devvarman became the first ACC player to ever win the NCAA Tournament singles title.
In the fall, he won an ITA National Indoor title.
This season, the India native has been ranked No. 1 throughout and is undefeated.
But Devvarman’s domination is only a small part of what makes him so special, according to Virginia coach Brian Boland.
“Somdev’s a great player, but an even better person,” Boland said. “In the end, I think that only helps his tennis in how he approaches everything both on and off the court. He has tremendous perspective, is mature beyond his years and is a natural leader.
“He’s the kind of person that everybody want to be around. He’s just a happy person and really sets the tone for the team. He’s contagious. You can’t replace Somdev Devvarman.”
This afternoon in Tulsa, Okla., Devvarman and No. 1-seeded and undefeated Virginia (30-0) play Michigan in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16. If UVa can get by the 16th-seeded Wolverines (20-6), it would play the Tennessee-Baylor winner in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
The finals of the tournament, which will be broadcast on ESPNU, are set for Tuesday night.
When Devvarman talks about trying to lead Virginia to its first NCAA title, there is a palpable intensity in his voice that can only come from a guy whose team was eliminated in the semifinals of last season’s tournament.
“We want it as bad as we’ve wanted anything,” Devvarman said, “but as much as we want it, we know that the most important key to getting there is taking it one match at a time and not looking at the finish line.
“We have to look at the next step that is front of us, and right now that step is the Michigan Wolverines.”
In a regular-season meeting on Feb. 3, Michigan won the doubles point from Virginia before the Cavs prevailed, 5-2. “We’re going to try and change that this time,” Devvarman said.
Four years ago, college tennis wasn’t something Devvarman was remotely thinking about. The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder had his sights set on a pro career.
Until Boland came into the picture, that is.
“Brian kept pestering me,” Devvarman recalled. “He said, ‘College tennis might be something for you.’”
Devvarman decided to give it some thought. Eventually, he realized he could get a great education while playing competitive tennis in an atmosphere where he could focus on improving every day.
“It was a complete package,” Devvarman said. “Before I knew it, we had sealed the deal and I was coming in as a freshman. It seems like yesterday.”
Boland still has a vivid recollection of his in-home visit to Devvarman - albeit a somewhat nauseous one.
When Boland arrived in Chennai, India, Devvarman’s parents invited him over to dinner. You could say Boland’s digestive system wasn’t quite ready for the spicy Indian cuisine that the Devvarmans were serving up.
Boland found himself choking at several junctures.
“[Devvarman’s] mom asked me if I liked it,” Boland recalled. “I looked at it and said, ‘No’ and everybody started laughing.
“The desert was even worse than the meal…it looked like an egg. That being said, they were just a gracious and wonderful family. I knew right away that I had a guy who would have an impact in college tennis, but more importantly a good person.”
Devvarman was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2004-05 and helped Virginia advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAAs.
As a sophomore, he posted a 31-13 record as UVa made it to the quarters again.
Last season, Devvarman went 44-5 and won the individuals at the NCAA Tournament after Virginia had been eliminated in the team semifinals.
As Devvarman spoke at the post-match press conference in Atlanta, he took almost no credit for his triumph. All he talked about was how thankful to his teammates and his coaches he was.
“He loves the university and being here with the whole team,” said Virginia senior Treat Huey. “He doesn’t act like he’s the best player in the country, which everybody knows he is.
“He’s just a great guy to have on the team. He’s just one of the guys.”
So much so that Huey and some of the team’s upperclassmen engage in some good-natured ribbing with Devvarman about his music.
“He thinks he’s pretty good at guitar and singing,” said Huey, smiling. “We all try and encourage him and say, ‘Oh yeah, you’re great. You play just like Dave Matthews.’ But he’s terrible. Nobody’s really told him. He’s not very good at all.”
“He thinks he’s an up-and-coming music star,” joked Virginia senior Ted Angelinos. “He needs to work on that.”
Luckily, Devvarman has a pretty good tutor - Boyd Tinsley, the violinist and backup singer from the Dave Matthews Band, who just so happens to live in Charlottesville.
Recently, Tinsley, an avid tennis fan, had the team over to his house. While there, Tinsley engaged in a jam session with Devvarman in his home studio.
“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever down in my life,” said Devvarman, breaking into a wide smile.
However, you get the feeling that winning an NCAA title with his Virginia teammates would rank much higher.
Devvarman says winning the individual tournament last year was a great feeling, but it would pale in comparison to winning as a team.
“It’s just a whole different thing,” he said. “It will be something that you can share with your best friends and guys you’ve lived with four years and coaches you’ve been with for four years.
“These are people you are probably going to know the rest of your life. It would definitely mean a lot more.”