Singh pushes Kim to the limit in loss

By: Whitelaw Reid | Daily Progress
Published: November 07, 2009

Charlottesville tennis fans expected to come away from the inaugural Virginia National Bank Men’s Tennis Championships talking about a former Virginia star from India — Somdev Devvarman.

That may still happen, but on Friday night at the Boar’s Head Sports Club it was hard not to come away raving about a current Virginia player from India.

UVa junior Sanam Singh gave Kevin Kim, the No. 87 player in the world, all he wanted before coming up just short in a third-set tiebreaker. Kim defeated Singh, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6, to move into a semifinal showdown today with Donald Young, who beat Virginia alum Dom Inglot in straight sets.

Devvarman’s quarterfinal match against Matwe Middelkoop finished after press time.

Singh, who had made it through three rounds of qualifying and then knocked off two opponents who were ranked within the top 300, came within a whisker of another huge win. However, two double faults in the third-set tiebreaker did him in.

“I had a lot of chances,” Singh said. “Obviously, [Kim is] solid. That’s why he’s top-100 in the world. You need to take advantage of your chances against a player like that...

“The two double faults in the breaker really hurt me. That was the difference.”

Kim, who had to play in front of an entirely pro-Singh crowd that featured the likes of Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley, said it was a much tougher match than he anticipated.

“I just kept hitting and the guy got a little tight,” said Kim, a former UCLA standout. “The guy’s not playing for any money. I’m sitting here playing for [the Australian Open].

“He hit the ball really well. I haven’t seen somebody hit the ball like that, but he had nothing lose and I had a lot to gain.”

Virginia coach Brian Boland was extremely proud of Singh, who was playing as an amateur.

“It was a great match,” Boland said. “All credit goes to Kevin Kim, who played a tremendous match. He was just a little better in the end.

“But it was a great performance by Sanam. It shows how far he’s come in such a short time. He continues to get better and better.”

In doubles, Inglot and fellow UVa alum Rylan Rizza advanced to today’s semis with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Grigor Dimitrov and Filip Prpic. They will take on Aussies Kaden Hensel and Adam Hubble.