Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal clinched a spot in the main draw of the Monte Carlo Masters after thrashing World No. 55 Facundo Diaz Acosta in the second and final round of qualifiers on April 7 in France. Nagal won the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 by showcasing his resilience on the clay courts. In the first round of the clay-court tournament, Nagal defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3.
Nagal also scripted history by becoming the first Indian player in 42 years to reach the main draw of the clay-court event. Ramesh Krishnan was the last Indian player, who graced the courts of Monte Carlo’s singles main draw in 1982. Now, Nagal has reignited the hopes of Indian tennis by ending the long drought.
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Facing a tough challenge against Acosta, the 26-year-old Nagal displayed great resistance despite trailing 2-5 in the first set. However, he won five consecutive games to survive in the opening set. In the second set, Nagal fell behind and Acosta won the match. But, in the deciding set, Nagal played his best as he romped to victory. He was under pressure for quite a few minutes but did not let it get the better of him.
Nagal has been continuously making the headlines since beating Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year in January.
With this, he also became the first Indian tennis player to thrash a seeded player in a Grand Slam event in 35 years. He won the Chennai Open and broke into the top 100. Earlier in April, he reached his career-best ranking of No.95. With this, he left everyone in awe with his brilliant performance at the Marrakesh Open.
Nagal will be aiming to stay in form ahead of the French Open 2024, which is scheduled to begin on May 20.
Apart from Nagal, the world’s number one doubles duo of Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden will also be vying for success at the marquee clay tournament. The pair had a blistering beginning to the year as they bagged the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open.
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