Australian Open 2024: Sumit Nagal bows out after second round defeat against China's Juncheng Shang

Published at :January 18, 2024 at 2:44 PM

Modified at :January 24, 2024 at 5:31 PM

(Courtesy : PTI)

Earlier Nagal made history by reaching Australian Open second round.

In a hard-fought battle at the Australian Open 2024, India’s Sumit Nagal succumbed to China’s Shang Juncheng in four sets. The match marked the end of Nagal’s journey in the tournament, who had earlier shown promise by defeating 31st seed Alexander Bublik in the main draw.

Nagal started strong, clinching the first set 6-2. However, as the game progressed, he lost momentum, allowing Juncheng to level the scores and eventually take the lead by the third set. Despite a spirited fight in the fourth set, Nagal’s inability to secure key points on the break proved detrimental. He spent the latter half of the round playing catch-up, ultimately losing the match 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6.

Sumit Nagal bows out of Australian Open 2024!! 💔He took the first set against 🇨🇳's Juncheng Shang but eventually suffers a 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6 defeat!Well Fought! 👏🫶#AO24 #AusOpen #SumitNagal pic.twitter.com/UwvCgeKqb5
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) January 18, 2024

Sumit Nagal, the 26-year-old Indian tennis sensation, etched his name in history for Indians at the Australian Open on Tuesday. He became the first Indian male player to defeat a seeded player at a Grand Slam in over three decades.

Nagal delivered a stunning performance, defeating World No. 27, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, in straight sets 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

This victory marked the first time in 35 years that an Indian man has defeated a seeded player in a Grand Slam. The last such instance was when Ramesh Krishnan upset top seed Mats Wilander in the second round of the 1989 Australian Open.

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This was also the first time Nagal has advanced to the second round of the Australian Open. He had previously reached the second round of the US Open in 2020, where he was defeated by the eventual champion, Dominic Thiem.

Nagal secured his spot in the Australian Open through the qualifying tournament. He upset former World No. 38, Alex Molcan of Slovakia, 6-4, 6-4 in the final qualifying round to enter the main draw.

This achievement made him the first Indian to qualify for the main draw of any Grand Slam since 2021. After three years, this was his second main draw appearance at the Australian Open, having previously lost to Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis in the opening round.

In 2019, Nagal made headlines when he took a set off the legendary Roger Federer at Flushing Meadows before eventually losing the match 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6. Despite the loss, his performance was widely applauded and marked him as a rising star in tennis.

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