NEW DELHI, Jan 16
On the third day of the Australian Open 2024, India’s Sumit Nagal shocked the 31st seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in the first round.
He will face the winners of Mackenzie McDonald and Shang Juncheng in Thursday’s second round of the Grand Slam.
Nagal’s historic victory is his first against a Top 50 player, pushing him to the second round of a Grand Slam for the second time in his career.
This is the first win by an Indian men’s singles player over a seeded player at a Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989.
Nagal had previously made it to the US Open main draw in 2019 and 2020. Nagal took the famous Roger Federer to four sets at Flushing Meadows in the 2019 US Open but lost 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6.
Kazakhstan’s Bublik, famed for his flamboyant shot-making and unpredictable style, went into the match as the clear favourite. However, Nagal, rated 137th in the world, maintained exceptional poise and resilience from the start.
He neutralized Bublik’s strength with steady baseline play and capitalized on Kazakh unforced errors. Nagal served confidently throughout the match, putting pressure on Bublik’s return game and controlling the rallies. The first set was a close match, with both players holding serve until the ninth game. However, Nagal capitalized on his opportunity at 5-4, breaking Bublik’s serve to win the opener 6-4. This appeared to halt Bublik’s momentum, as Nagal stormed ahead in the second set, winning 6-2 with a commanding performance of aggressive baseline tennis.
In the third set, Bublik finally regained his rhythm and focus.
Both players hung on to their serves, forcing the set to a tiebreak. Despite Bublik’s courageous fightback, Nagal held fast to win the match 7-5, prompting exuberant celebrations among the Indian delegation among the spectators.
Nagal’s victory marks a watershed event in Indian tennis, as he becomes only the fifth Indian men’s singles player to reach the second round of the Australian Open singles competition. This victory will definitely enhance his confidence and act as a springboard to greater success in the future.
Nagal, who recovered from a series of injuries to increase his ranking to 122 after being ranked outside the top 500 for much of last year, looked in good nick during his qualifying campaign, not losing a single set across his three matches.
Nagal became the last Indian to compete in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam at the 2021 Australian Open, as he received a singles wildcard reserved for one Asia-Pacific player. Prior to Nagal, India’s Somdev Devvarman was the last Indian to make it to the second round of the Australian Open, which he did in 2013.
Sumit qualified for the Grand Slam and advanced to the main draw. On the third day of the Australian Open 2024, India’s Sumit Nagal shocked the 31st seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in the first round.
He will face the winners of Mackenzie McDonald and Shang Juncheng in Thursday’s second round of the Grand Slam.
Nagal’s historic victory is his first against a Top 50 player, pushing him to the second round of a Grand Slam for the second time in his career.
This is the first win by an Indian men’s singles player over a seeded player at a Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989.
Nagal had previously made it to the US Open main draw in 2019 and 2020. Nagal took the famous Roger Federer to four sets at Flushing Meadows in the 2019 US Open but lost 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6.
Kazakhstan’s Bublik, famed for his flamboyant shot-making and unpredictable style, went into the match as the clear favourite. However, Nagal, rated 137th in the world, maintained exceptional poise and resilience from the start.
He neutralized Bublik’s strength with steady baseline play and capitalized on Kazakh unforced errors. Nagal served confidently throughout the match, putting pressure on Bublik’s return game and controlling the rallies.
The first set was a close match, with both players holding serve until the ninth game. However, Nagal capitalized on his opportunity at 5-4, breaking Bublik’s serve to win the opener 6-4. This appeared to halt Bublik’s momentum, as Nagal stormed ahead in the second set, winning 6-2 with a commanding performance of aggressive baseline tennis.
In the third set, Bublik finally regained his rhythm and focus. Both players hung on to their serves, forcing the set to a tiebreak. Despite Bublik’s courageous fightback, Nagal held fast to win the match 7-5, prompting exuberant celebrations among the Indian delegation among the spectators.
Nagal’s victory marks a watershed event in Indian tennis, as he becomes only the fifth Indian men’s singles player to reach the second round of the Australian Open singles competition. This victory will definitely enhance his confidence and act as a springboard to greater success in the future.
Nagal, who recovered from a series of injuries to increase his ranking to 122 after being ranked outside the top 500 for much of last year, looked in good nick during his qualifying campaign, not losing a single set across his three matches.
Nagal became the last Indian to compete in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam at the 2021 Australian Open, as he received a singles wildcard reserved for one Asia-Pacific player.
Prior to Nagal, India’s Somdev Devvarman was the last Indian to make it to the second round of the Australian Open, which he did in 2013. Sumit qualified for the Grand Slam and advanced to the main draw.
