The 116th-ranked Somdev breezed through the first set before fourth-seeded Hewitt, playing his first match after a hip surgery in January, bounced back to take the second, conceding only two points, to make it a set-all.
In the decider, Somdev broke back twice and was serving for the match at 6-5. But he could not hold his serve and that window of opportunity was enough for Hewitt to reel off six points in the tie-break and close the match. Hewitt now faces Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela for a spot in the semi-finals.
Published 09 April 2010, 15:01 IST