Australian Open: Sumit Nagal suffers first-round loss, bows out of tournament

MELBOURNE: Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal bowed out of the ongoing Australian Open on Tuesday as he suffered a first-round loss.

Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis defeated Nagal 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round and this ended Nagal’s hopes of progressing ahead in the ongoing Grand Slam.
Nagal was put under a lot of pressure in the first set and Berankis gave him no chance of settling in and Lithuania’s tennis star wrapped up the set in no time.

The world-number 73 Berankis created further pressure in the second set and Nagal was not given a chance of making any sort of comeback. Berankis had gone on to take a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Nagal made an amazing comeback and he was able to bring the scoreline level to 4-4. However, Berankis managed to maintain his composure and he finally took the second set 7-5.

Berankis continued with his momentum and in the end, he won the third set as well to win the match in straight sets against Nagal. Earlier, Nagal had admitted that his preparation for the Australian Open was not ideal but he was prepared to give it his all in the ongoing Grand Slam.

“It is the same situation for everyone, for me, I would have liked to play some more tournaments, but unfortunately I had to end my last season a month earlier. There is nothing I can change, I am trying to practice as much as possible,” said Nagal during a virtual press conference. I have a gut feeling that I am going to play someone who is ranked in the top-ten. I think I was lucky enough that our flight had no Covid cases, I would call myself lucky that I got to practice or be out of my room for five hours a day,” he added. (ANI)