File photograph of Sumit Nagal.
| Photo Credit: Ok. Murali Kumar
India’s tennis ace Sumit Nagal turned the nation’s first participant to win an ATP Challenger occasion on European clay court docket, pulling off an upset win over higher-ranked Dutchman Jesper de Jong in Rome on April 30.
The 25-year-old Nagal defeated de Jong, greater than 100 locations above the Indian within the ATP singles rankings, 6-3 6-2 to clinch his third ATP Challenger title and the primary because the triumph in Buenos Aires in 2019.
Nagal, ranked 347th on the earth, had little problem overcoming his Dutch opponent three years youthful and at present ranked 234th on the earth.
A daily member of the Indian Davis Cup squad, Nagal needed to play six powerful matches, together with two rounds of qualifiers, en path to the ultimate.
He defeated Italy’s Jacepo Berretini within the first spherical of qualifiers earlier than overcoming a tricky problem from Norway’s higher-ranked opponent Victor Durasovic (ATP rank 302) in a gruelling three-setter to safe a spot in the principle spherical.
The 2015 Wimbledon boys’ doubles title winner then thrashed dwelling favorite Francesco Maestrelli (ATP rank 172) within the first spherical earlier than blanking wildcard Fausto Tabacco of Italy 6-3, 6-0 to safe a berth within the quarter-finals.
Nagal, who had defeated Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin within the first spherical of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics earlier than happening to Russian ace Daniil Medvedev within the second spherical, defeated one other higher-ranked opponent in Netherlands’ Max Houkes to safe a spot within the semi-final within the Rome occasion.
Pitted towards a tricky Belgian opponent in Joris De Loore, seeded eighth, the Indian misplaced the opening set towards the 198th ranked participant 2-6, earlier than profitable the following two 7-5, 6-4 to make it to the title spherical.
Legendary Indian participant Ramesh Krishnan had received the ATP Stuttgart Open on clay in 1982, however that was an ATP Tour occasion, a better stage event.
