Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal has secured a spot in the main draw of the Indian Wells as a lucky loser, following the withdrawal of Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal, who cited his lack of preparedness to compete at the highest level.
The 26-year-old Nagal had previously exited in the second round of the qualifying tournament. However, due to his high ranking in the qualifying draw, he earned the opportunity to advance to the main draw. Currently positioned at 101st in the ATP rankings, Nagal automatically progressed to the main draw in the event of a last-minute withdrawal.
Nagal to face Milos Raonic
In his upcoming match, Nagal will face Canada's Milos Raonic, a finalist at Wimbledon in 2016, who holds a protected ranking. Players who have been sidelined due to injury for a minimum of six months are eligible for a protected ranking, which is an average of their ranking during the initial three months of the injury period.
Nadal’s injury issues
Earlier, 37-year-old Nadal announced his withdrawal in a statement. The Spaniard has been dealing with injury problems and was compelled to undergo hip surgery last season.
"It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament. Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here at Indian Wells," he said.
"I have been working hard and practising and you all know I took a test this weekend but I don't find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event.'
"It is not an easy decision, it's a tough one as a matter of fact but I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all and I am sure the tournament will be a great success," he added.
'Rafa is unable to play in the BNP Paribas Open'
Tournament director Tommy Haas expressed his disappointment regarding Nadal's withdrawal.
"We are disappointed that Rafa is unable to play in the BNP Paribas Open, but we wish him continued healing and hope he can be back in action again soon," Haas said.
Nagal broke into the ATP top 100 last month following his title win in the Chennai Challenger event. However, he soon dropped out due to disappointing results in subsequent tournaments.
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