Chinese
tennis
sensation
Juncheng Shang
quashed
Sumit Nagal
's challenge at the
Australian Open
, putting an end to the Indian's remarkable run at the first major of the season on Thursday.
Despite Nagal's strong start, highlighted by an impressive victory over a top-30 player, the 18-year-old wildcard entrant gradually gained momentum, securing a victory with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 scoreline in the second-round clash that lasted two hours and 50 minutes.
Nagal, who seemed to run out of steam in the fourth set, exited the Melbourne Park with valuable memories, having earned his place in the main draw through the qualifiers and scoring a notable win over world number 27 Alexander Bublik.
Shang's serving prowess improved from the third set onward, enabling him to comfortably hold his service games despite facing challenges from high backhand balls. Nagal, a 26-year-old from Jhajjar, Haryana, will take home AUD 180,000, a substantial reward for his efforts that should cover a significant portion of his 2024 Tour budget.
Nagal engaged the Chinese player in a baseline battle from the start, claiming an early break in the first game. Despite Shang's efforts to recover, Nagal maintained his lead, ultimately securing the opening set.
The second set saw a more assertive and aggressive Shang, who minimized errors, served well, and improved his court coverage. Shang took a commanding 5-2 lead with two breaks and closed out the set in his favor.
The third set remained closely contested until Shang capitalized on a series of backhand errors by Nagal at 5-5, securing a crucial break and ultimately claiming the set. As the match progressed, Shang's serve became increasingly formidable, creating pressure on the visibly fatigued Nagal. Shang secured another break in the crucial seventh game of the fourth set, sealing the victory with ease.
In the end, Shang's improved serve and overall performance allowed him to emerge victorious in the match against Nagal, who nonetheless leaves the tournament with a commendable performance and a significant monetary reward.
In doubles action, the Indian-Australian duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden staged an impressive comeback, overcoming a 0-5 deficit in the first set to defeat the local team comprising James Duckworth and Marc Polmans.
However, the Indian pairing of Vijay Sundar Prashanth and Anirudh Chandrasekar suffered a 3-6, 4-6 loss to the Hungarian duo of Marton Fucsovics and Fabian Marozsan.
N Sriram Balaji, teaming up with Romania's Victor Vlad Cornea, will kick off their campaign on Friday, as their match against the Italian pair of Matteo Arnaldi and Andrea Pellegrino has been rescheduled due to rain.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·