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Sunday, September 10, 2023

After runner-up end in Tulln, Nagal turns concentrate on India duties | Tennis News

After runner-up end in Tulln, Nagal turns concentrate on India duties | Tennis News [ad_1]

Sumit Nagal left the ATP Tulln Challenger with a runner-up trophy however enters a uncommon stretch of taking part in back-to-back for the nation on the Davis Cup and Asian Video games this month with confidence.

Nagal, ranked 189th, ran out of gas in a 2-6, 4-6 defeat to Czech Vit Kopriva in the final(HT Media)
Nagal, ranked 189th, ran out of gasoline in a 2-6, 4-6 defeat to Czech Vit Kopriva within the last(HT Media)

Nagal, ranked 189th, ran out of gasoline in a 2-6, 4-6 defeat to Czech Vit Kopriva within the last of a event the place he took down three seeds: eighth seed Vitaliy Sachko (ranked 165) within the spherical of 16, high seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas (88) within the quarter-finals and fourth seed Flavio Cobolli (137) within the semi-finals.

It was Nagal’s third Challenger last of a stable season wherein he has bagged two titles (Tampere in July and Rome in April) after beginning the yr ranked outdoors the highest 500. The week in Tulln will carry him near a top-150 spot; he's prone to leap 33 locations to 156th within the ATP rankings on Monday.

“Superb week," Nagal stated after the ultimate. “I'm pleased with my performances, particularly within the final three weeks.”

It ought to put him in good stead over the following few weeks whereas turning up for India on the Hangzhou Asian Video games preceded by the house Davis Cup tie this weekend in opposition to Morocco.

Tennis added to India’s medal tally on the 2018 Asian Video games with two singles medals — Prajnesh Gunneswaran (bronze) and Ankita Raina (bronze) — aside from the lads’s doubles gold. Not among the many two Indians within the singles draw, the 26-year-old from Jhajjar performed doubles with Ramkumar Ramanathan 5 years in the past. Now the India No. 1 in singles, Nagal thrives on the added rush of representing the nation.

On the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Nagal was the primary Indian to win a singles tennis match on the Olympics since Leander Paes claimed bronze on the 1996 Atlanta Video games. He beat the reigning Asian Video games gold medallist Denis Istomin earlier than shedding to Daniil Medvedev.

“I’m very a lot trying ahead to it (Asian Video games). I’m at all times excited to play for the nation. It’s a privileged feeling for me," Nagal stated. "I'll give my finest on the court docket.”

Again from a hip surgical procedure final yr wherein his outcomes dipped, Nagal has been extra constant this season, making three finals and 5 semi-finals on the Challenger tour. He had a tough couple of matches final month in Challengers in Liberec and Meerbusch forward of the US Open qualifying, the place he bumped into Ninety fifth-ranked Taro Daniel within the first spherical.

“After the Meerbusch loss I sat down with my coaches and made a plan on how I needed to play the following few weeks — which was simply occurring the court docket, hitting the balls you're purported to hit and be okay with a mistake and transfer on,” Nagal stated. “I felt like I did that for a majority of the previous few weeks, besides the (quarter-final) match in Como (earlier than the Tulln Challenger).”


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