Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal made his way into the Australian Open 2024 main draw. Winning 6-4, 6-4, Nagal ousted Alex Molcan in his third and final Australian Open 2024 men’s singles qualifying match. Thus entering the main draw for the fourth time in his career.
In the first round of qualifiers on Wednesday, January 10, the 26-year-old secured a victory over France’s Geoffrey Blancaneaux, spending an hour and 46 minutes on Court 8 to win the match 6-3, 7-5.
Continuing his strong performance, Nagal triumphed in his second match against local wildcard entrant Edward Winter, dominating with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2.
Ranked 139th in the world singles rankings, Nagal is well-acquainted with the prestigious arenas of tennis. He has previously graced the main rounds of the US Open in both 2019 and 2020 and also participated in the Australian Open main draw in 2021.
In a noteworthy moment during the 2019 US Open’s opening round, Nagal delivered an impressive performance in the first set against none other than the legendary Roger Federer. Despite eventually losing the match, Nagal earned the distinction of being the first Indian to snatch a set from the Swiss star.
However, this year took a different turn as the All India Tennis Association opted not to nominate him for a wildcard entry. This decision has set the stage for Nagal’s challenging journey through the qualifiers.
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