New York, Aug 30 - Indian Somdev Devvarman has qualified for his first Grand Slam singles event by making the US Open main draw, defeating Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 6-2 in the qualifiers at Flushing Meadows.
Somdev, who was three points from winning Friday's rain-interrupted third round qualifier, having led 6-3, 5-2, 15-15, was quickly home when the match resumed Saturday.
The 24-year-old India No.1 now plays 110th ranked Frederico Gil of Portugal in the first round of the US Open, starting Monday.
Gil, who is a month and 11 days younger to the 161st ranked Indian, turned pro in 2003 and already has the taste of playing in Grand Slam events, having played in French Open, Wimbledon and US open last year and also this year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but has never gone beyond first round.
Somdev, who narrowly failed to qualify for the Australian Open and then tried in vain to make the French Open and Wimbledon main draws this year, became the first Indian to qualify for the US Open since Los Angeles-born Indian Prakash Amritraj played in 2002.
Somdev has never met Gil before. If the Indian clears the first round he might face World No.