India’s No.1 singles player Sumit Nagal lost his pre-quarter-final match against fourth-seeded Argentine Mariano Navone in straight sets 4-6 2-6 in Nordea Open. Had Nagal won this round, he could have had a possible face-off with the legendary Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals but the world No. 36 was too good for the Indian, who recently gained five places in the ATP rankings to move to No. 68.
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Sumit Nagal Ends Pre-Olympic Phase On A Disappointing Note
Nagal, a clay court specialist has qualified for the singles event at Paris Olympics and this was his last tournament before the quadrennial extravaganza which begins in Paris from July 26. Thus, the world No.68 might have fancied going deeper in the tournament.
He will be entering the Olympics at the back of just one victory that he attained over local wildcard Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3 in the Round of 32. World No. 68 Nagal began strongly against Navone, breaking the Argentine’s serve to go ahead 2-0 in the first set. Despite this early advantage, World No. 36 Navone swiftly recovered and won five games in a row. Nagal managed to break Navone’s serve again, reducing the set score to 3-5. Nagal had two opportunities to break Navone’s serve once more when the Argentine served for the set, but he was unable to capitalize on either chance.
As the second set started, Navone appeared in excellent form while Nagal displayed signs of fatigue. In the eighth game, Nagal fought hard to save four match points, but Navone ultimately clinched the victory.
With this defeat, Nagal forfeited the chance to compete in the quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal, who is scheduled to play against fifth-seed Cameron Norrie later today. Nagal continues to hold the distinction of being the last Indian male player to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP tournament, achieving this feat at the ATP 250 Buenos Aires in 2021.
Sumit Nagal is India’s premier hope in the field of Lawn Tennis for Paris Olympics. Realistically, Nagal does not carry the burden of expectations but could still turn out to be an unexpected force for India. All to look forward to as the Paris Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 26, 2024.
(With inputs from PTI)
