Somdev Devvarman will have to wait for his career's first ATP title. The Indian ace and Treat Conrad Huey lost a fiercely-fought summit clash in the $619,50 Farmer's Classic to Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Xavier Malisse of Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The unseeded Indo-Philippine pair played their hearts out, but eventually lost the final 6-7(3), 6-7(10) to the third seeded Bahams-Belgium pair.
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It was the first time that Somdev reached the final of an ATP doubles event. He had made two singles finals, the Chennai Open, his home event, in 2009, and in Johannesburg early this year.
Somdev and Huey pushed their experienced opponents to the limit but could not get past them in the tie-breakers. Things could have been different had they not squandered two break chances in the second set.
They split $18,000 in prize-money and earned 150 ranking points for their effort.
Somdev's singles campaign in the tournament had earlier ended with a 4-6, 6-7 (7) first round defeat at the hands of Ryan Sweeting of the United States.