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Tennis

Australian Open 2024: Sumit Nagal enters into second round with historic win over Alexander Bublik

Nagal dominated the first two sets with convincing margins of 6-4 and 6-2. The third set unfolded as a fiercely contested battle, with both players going neck-to-neck in the initial six games.

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Sumit Nagal (Source: Twitter)

It was a historical effort from Sumit Nagal who secured victory over ATP world no. 27 Alexander Bublik. With this victory, he has advanced into the second round of the Australian Open 2024. Nagal dominated the first two sets with convincing margins of 6-4 and 6-2. The third set unfolded as a fiercely contested battle, with both players going neck-to-neck in the initial six games. 

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Nagal managed a crucial break against Bublik, securing a 4-3 advantage and extending it to 5-3. However, the third set held more drama yet to unfold. Bublik narrowed the score to 4-5 by winning the subsequent game without conceding a point, providing Nagal the chance to serve for a spot in the second round. However, succumbing to the pressure, the Indian failed to maintain his serve, allowing the Kazakhstan star to level the score at 5-5.

Both players maintained their holds in the following games, leading the match into a tie-breaker that Nagal won with a score of 7-5. This marked the first instance since 1989 that an Indian player had defeated a seeded opponent in a Grand Slam. Nagal secured the victory in straight sets, concluding with scores of 6-4, 6-2, 7-6.

Watch the post-win celebration from a young rising Tennis star from India;

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No Indian player has progressed beyond the third round so far

Nagal's advancement to the second round is a historic achievement in Indian tennis. In the men's singles category at the Australian Open, no Indian player has progressed beyond the third round so far. The iconic Ramesh Krishnan achieved third-round qualification an impressive five times in his career at the Australian Open, specifically in the editions of 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989. Notably, he gained fame for defeating world No. 1 Mats Wilander in the second round of the 1989 tournament.

Vijay Amritraj is another Indian who advanced beyond the initial round at the Australian Open. He reached the second round in the 1984 edition. Additionally, Leander Paes achieved this feat on multiple occasions, in 1997 and 2000. In recent Indian tennis history, the now-retired Somdev Devvarman also qualified for the second round at the 2013 Australian Open.

Sumit Nagal