India's Sumit Nagal, Ankita Raina handed tough draw in Australian Open 2024 qualifiers

Published at :January 7, 2024 at 5:49 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 11:59 PM

(Courtesy : PTI/Olympics)

Nagal will face Geoffrey Blancaneaux of France in first round.

The first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open 2024, is set to begin on January 14 in Melbourne, Australia. Before the main draw, however, the qualifying rounds will take place from 7-11 January. Two Indian tennis players, Sumit Nagal and Ankita Raina, have secured their spots in the qualifying rounds and will hope to make it to the main draw.

Sumit Nagal, the top-ranked Indian men’s singles player, is ranked 138th in the world and has had a successful 2023 season. He won a second challenger title and reached two more finals.

Nagal has made the Australian Open main draw once before, in 2021, when he received a wildcard entry. He lost in the first round to Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania. This time, he will have to go through the qualifying rounds, where he faces a tough draw.

In the first round, he will play against Geoffrey Blancaneaux of France, whom he has beaten twice before on the ATP Challenger and ATP 250 circuits. However, this will be their first meeting on hard courts, which could pose a different challenge.

If he wins the first round, he will face either Edward Winter, an Australian wildcard, or Franco Agamenone, an Argentine veteran. Nagal has never played against either of them, so he will have to be prepared for any surprises.

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In the final round, he could face either Alessandro Giannessi of Italy or John Millman of Australia, who has a protected ranking. Nagal has a 0-2 record against Giannessi, who is a clay-court specialist. Millman, on the other hand, is a former world number 33 who has beaten Roger Federer and reached the US Open quarterfinals.

Nagal will have to play his best tennis and overcome the odds to make it to the main draw of the Australian Open.

Ankita Raina, the top-ranked Indian women’s singles player, is ranked 206th in the world and has had a mixed 2023 season, reaching three ITF finals and one WTA semifinal, but also losing several qualifying matches at Grand Slams. She achieved her first WTA main-draw win over a former top-20 player and improved her ranking to near 200.

Raina has never played in the main draw of a Grand Slam, but she came close in 2021 when she reached the final round of the Australian Open qualifiers. She lost to Olga Danilovic in a close match. This time, she will have another chance to make history and become the first Indian woman to play in a Grand Slam main draw since Sania Mirza.

In the first round, she will play against J. Bouzas Maneiro of Spain, a 21-year-old who is ranked 158th in the world. This will be their first meeting, and Raina will have to be wary of the young Spaniard’s potential.

If she wins the first round, she will face either H. Sakatsume of Japan or S. Bejlek of Czech Republic. Sakatsume is ranked 186th in the world and has won two ITF titles in 2023. Bejlek is ranked 132th in the world and has reached one ITF final in 2023. Raina has never played against either of them, so she will have to be ready for any challenge.

In the final round, she could face either Lucrezia Stefanini of Italy or Kataryzinian Kawa. Stefanini is seeded and currently 125th rank in the World.

Raina will have to play her best tennis and overcome the odds to make it to the main draw of the Australian Open.

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