Australian Open 2024: Sumit Nagal Enters Men's Singles Main Draw

Add as a preferred source on Google

Melbourne, January 12: India's Sumit Nagal on Friday (January 12) entered the main draw of the men's singles competition in Australian Open 2024 following straight sets win over Slovakia's Alex Molcan in the qualifying final at the Melbourne Park in Melbourne.

Nagal eased past Molcan 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and three minutes, and won the match after his opponent double faulted at 30-40 in the 10th game of the second set.

Nagal will now face Kazakhstan's World No. 31 Alexander Bublik in the first round of the men's singles competition in the year's first Grand Slam on Monday (January 15).

Currently ranked World No. 139 in singles, this is Nagal's second main draw appearance in the season's first Grand Slam after his entry in 2021. Nagal went down to Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the opening round 2-6, 5-7, 3-6 that year.

Nagal had also made it to the US Open main draw in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, Nagal had stretched legendary Roger Federer to four sets at the Flushing Meadows before losing 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6.

However, a year later, the Indian managed to enter the second round of the season's final Grand Slam beating host nation's Bradley Klahn in the first round 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. But went down to second seed and eventual champion Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round.

While Nagal qualified for the main draw in the men's singles competition, his compatriot Ankita Raina bowed out in the third round of the women's singles qualifiers.

Also representing India at the Australian Open will be veteran Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri, who will be playing alongside different players in the men's doubles competition.

Bopanna will parnter Matthew Ebden and the pair will enter the tournament as the second seeds behind Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek. Meanwhile, Yuki Bhambri will be partnering experienced Dutchman Robin Haase.