Rebel Somdev takes on Phau

Updated on: 14 January,2013 09:29 AM IST |
Agencies |

Somdev Devvarman, in the news for demanding a better deal from the All India Tennis Association (AITA), was yesterday drawn against Germany's Bjorn Phau for his opening match in the men's singles event of the Australian Open here

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It will be the first meeting between Devvarman, ranked 551 in the world, and Phau, who is ranked 78. Somdev’s ranking has plummeted due to his absence from the circuit following a shoulder surgery. In the men’s doubles, defending champions Leander Paes and Czech Radek Stepanek are seeded second and start their title defence against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson and Jonathan Erlich of Israel.u00a0

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Mahesh Bhupathi and Canadian Daniel Nestor are u00a0seeded fifth and will take on Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in their first round.

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Rohan Bopanna and Rajeev Ram are seeded 12th and will meet local pair of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios first up. u00a0In the women’s doubles, Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, seeded 10th, have been drawn against Silvia Soler-Espinosa and Carla Suarez Navarro.

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