Third seed Croatian Marin Cilic trounced Sopmdev Devvarman of India in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(3) to win the 14th Chennai Open tennis finals at Nangambakkam Stadium Sunday January 10, 2009.

A dark horse in ATP circles and rising star of Indian lawn tennis league, the 23-year old Tripura lad Somdev Devvarman, who gate-crashed into the Chennai Open finals like a bolt from the blue, went down fighting Marin Cilic who made a superior display at Chennai. Somdev looked positive refusing to offer excuses for his debacle and assigning full credit to Cilic for his superior game.

Marlin Cilic won the title helped by nine aces though Somdev rallied in the second set and drove the game to a tie-break. Somdev had only one ace up his sleeve. Cilic served one double fault as against the three double faults served by Somdev.

Somdev lost the Chennai Open finals but won the hearts of his childhood friends and fans, who were present in large numbers, to cheer him at Chennai. He found the jam-packed Stadium cheering him when he thanked his fans in the local language, Tamil, and vowed to return next year.

Impeccable service and forehand play by Cilic stole away the first set from Somdev. Breaking Cilic’s service for the set as well as match point, Somdev countered the rallies of the Croatian and tried to find a foothold in the game with backhands but failed to consolidate his position.

Somdev entered his maiden ATP tour final when he got a walkover in the semi-finals from fifth seed and world number 33 Rainer Schuettier following a wrist injury. Before that, he ploughed through former world number one Carlos Moya and Coatia’s world number 25 Ivo Karlovic to get to the semi-finals.

Being a fresher helped Somdev as nobody has seen his game before. Therefore, their coaches were unable to devise game plans for their protégés. With such a sterling performance, the coaches would now start mapping his games.

Notwithstanding his debacle in the game, Somdev is richer by USD37,000 and 150 ATP point. With his win Cilic picked up 250 ATP points and top prize money of USD73,000.

The last time an Indian won an ATP men’s singles title was in 1998 when Leander Paes returned with the Newport title.