After creating history by becoming the first Indian male tennis player to win the main draw round of the Monte Carlo Masters (after beating Matteo Arnaldi in the first round), Sumit Nagal went down fighting in the second round against world no.7 Holger Rune in three sets. Nagal gave a tough fight to the top-ranked tennis star in the second set of the game that was played across two days due to rain interference. 

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In a game that lasted for over two hours and 11 minutes, Nagal went down fighting 3-6, 6-3, 2-6 but impressed everyone with his top performance at the tournament. 

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After losing the first set on Wednesday, with the tally reading 3-6 in Rune’s favour, Nagal took on the two-time French Open quarterfinalists bang on in the second set, winning it eventually. 

With rain suspending proceedings the previous day, the action resumed on Thursday. 

Ace India star secured a double break against Rune despite trailing behind in the second set. He gained momentum and won the set, taking the match to the final set.

The third set brought a new set of challenges for the Indian star, who failed to replicate his magic and went down 2-6 to lose the game and bow out of the tournament. His performance, however, left everyone impressed. 

Nagal bows out but with his head held high

Nagal, whose chances of breaking into the main draw of next month’s French Open are higher, became only the third Indian after Vijay Amritraj (in 1977) and Ramesh Krishnan (in 1982) to participate in the main draw at Monte Carlo. 

The Indian player beat world no. 63 from Italy Flavio Cobolli (6-2, 6-3) and Facundo Diaz Acosta from Argentina in three sets (7-5, 2-6, 6-2) to qualify for the main draw earlier.

Meanwhile, in the doubles category, Nagal’s compatriot and world No. 1 Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost their Round of 16 match at Monte Carlo, going down against the pair of Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo 3-6, 6-7 (6-8) on Wednesday.

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