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The memories of his 6-0 6-1 loss to third seed Marcos Daniel in the qualifying rounds of French Open last year are still etched in Somdev Devvarman's memory, as he was just a step away from his first ever Grand Slam appearance. On Friday, as Devvarman returned to the red clay of Roland Garros and defeated Adrian Mannarino of France 6-4 6-1, he not only ensured his second Grand Slam appearance the 25-year old made it to the main draw of the US Open last year but also became the first Indian, after Leander Paes, in 13 years to qualify for the main draw of the French Open.
"Last year I had come so close but missed out. However, I am more experienced this time and I learned a lot from last year's loss. I was really looking forward to get back on the court today. And now it feels good to get into the main draw as I am playing some good tennis here," said an elated Devvarman.
Devvarman now wants to take it one step at a time. "My focus is on the first match only. I am not thinking about the rest of the matches and taking unwanted pressure. It would be nice to move ahead in the tournament but everything depends on how the first match goes," he said.
A good run in the tournament will move Devvarman into the top 100 in rankings.
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