Somdev beats Prakash in Australian Open qualifier opener

Melbourne, Jan 14: India's new tennis star Somdev Devvarman overpowered a stoic Prakash Amritraj to enter the second round of men's qualifying singles at the Australian Open here Wednesday.

Fresh from his success at the Chennai Open where he reached the finals, Somdev, ranked 154, squandered a set advantage but recovered to beat Prakash 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in nearly one and a half hours.

Prakash, ranked 209, hit more winners (21 to Somdev's 13), but it was the unforced winners by the India's no. 2 player that let him down. Prakash made 15 unforced errors to Somdev's six.

Somdev next meets Poland's Lukasz Kubot, who beat Frenchmen Edouard Roger Vasselin
3-6, 6-3, 6-1.