Top seed Somdev Devvarman [ Images ] stands just one win away from clinching his second successive NCAA Tennis Championship title after he beat Alex Clayton in the semifinals at Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Devvarman won 6-4, 7-6 (3) and will now take on J P Smith, who beat 11th ranked Andre Begemann 6-2, 6-4.

Somdev sets NCAA record

Devvarman is trying to become the first back-to-back NCAA champion since Matias Boeker of Georgia won the championships in 2001 and 2002.

"I fought really hard, and that is maybe why I came out on top. I served really well. Other than that, today was a really good match, very competitive all the way through. I am pretty glad I came out on top in the end," Devvarman said after his match.

"He was serving 3-1, 40-15 if I recall right. He made a couple of errors, I hit a couple of good shots and found a way to break back in, and before I knew it I was serving for the first set. I found a way to win that set," he added.