Monte Carlo: Putting up a courageous fight, India’s Sumit Nagal defeated world number 7 Holger Rune before losing his second round match at the rain-hit Monte Carlo Masters here on Thursday.
In an impressive display of courage and courage, Nagal threatened to spoil Rune’s party by winning the second set after the second round match, suspended due to rain, resumed on Wednesday. However, he lost his serve twice in the final set.
The Indian qualifier was trailing 1-2 against seventh seed Rune in the second set when the skies opened.
He lost 3-6, 6-3, 2-6 after struggling hard for two hours and 11 minutes in the prestigious clay-court event. Nonetheless, it was a memorable tournament for him as he became the first Indian to win a singles main draw match at a Masters event on clay.
Nagal had the upper hand over the great Roger Federer at the 2019 US Open.
Nagal, 26, dropped his serve in the second game of the final set to fall behind, but he immediately fought back and held his own serve to make it 2-2. However, he lost his serve again in the sixth game and the match was settled there.
On the clay court of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, he first humiliated Flavio Cobolli, eighth seed, during qualifying, then Facundo Diaz Acosto, third seed, to qualify for the main draw of the tournament.
He then surprised Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the first round with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Meanwhile, India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden lost their men’s doubles round of 16 match to Croatia’s Mate Pavic and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arvalo on Wednesday. They lost 3-6, 6-7 (6-8).
