Devvarman too much for UT's Smith for NCAA title

Photo by Walt Beazley

J.P. Smith of Tennessee returns a shot to Somdev Devvarman of Virginia in the NCAA singles championship match at Tulsa, Okla. Smith, a freshman, fell to the defending champion 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.

Photo by Walt Beazley

J.P. Smith of Tennessee returns a shot to Somdev Devvarman of Virginia in the NCAA singles championship match at Tulsa, Okla. Smith, a freshman, fell to the defending champion 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.

Photo by Walt Beazley

J.P. Smith of Tennessee returns a shot to Somdev Devvarman of Virginia in the NCAA singles championship match at Tulsa, Okla. Smith, a freshman, fell to the defending champion 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.

TULSA, Okla. — J.P. Smith got a taste of the NCAA singles championship and wants to return. However, the Tennessee freshman had to settle for national runner-up to Virginia’s Somdev Devvarman 6-3, 6-2 at the Case Tennis Center on Monday.

No. 1 ranked Devvarman (44-1) won the singles crown for the second straight year. He becomes the fourth player to accomplish the feat in 50 years. Smith tried, but could not get his game going.

“It didn’t go as I wanted it to go,” Smith said. “He played great at the start and I couldn’t come forward as often as I wanted.”

When Smith rushed the net, Devvarman hit deft passing shots almost at will.

That was not Smith’s only problem. His usually good serves were not there in the hot and windy conditions.

“I had my second serve and he made me pay a lot,” Smith said. “He’s so focused and retrieves the ball well.”

Smith was trying to join former Vol and current assistant coach Chris Woodruff as a singles champion. Woodruff won the 1993 crown. Smith had to settle for runner-up against an outstanding player that had no cracks in the armor this match.

Smith ends his season at 33-11.

“I hope to do one step better next year and win it,” Smith added with smile.

Devvarman understood what he needed to do against Smith.

“I knew coming into the match that J.P. was a good player who relied heavily on his serve,” Devvarman said. “That was the key piece of his game. For J.P. to find a way to beat me, he had to serve unbelievably and play a really good return game.”

Devvarman did not take the freshman lightly, but could see early things were not going well for Smith.

“He played a loose game in the first set and I rode the momentum into the second set. Before I knew it, I was up two breaks and serving for the match. That pretty much sums up the whole match.”

Nerves were not a problem for Smith.

“I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “I just couldn’t get my teeth into the match. I wasn’t serving well and you have to against him.”