With each match he performs on the highest stage of the ATP Tour in 2024, Sumit Nagal is getting higher and higher at what he does.
His outstanding run as a qualifier on the Monte Carlo Masters got here to an finish in opposition to world no. 7 Holger Rune within the second spherical, however not earlier than he reiterated the progress he has made since his breakthrough on the Australian Open in January.
Nagal, world no. 93, fought again from a set and a break down and weathered a protracted rain delay to power a decider in opposition to one of many prime clay-court gamers in males’s tennis proper now. He ultimately fell brief within the third set, happening 3-6, 6-3, 2-6 after 2 hours and 10 minutes, unfold by two days. However it’s a match and event he can have a variety of positives to take again from.
Taking over a top-10 participant is a studying expertise in itself, often a uncommon alternative for Indian gamers. As a qualifier, he was the whole underdog on this match-up. After all, he has famously taken a set of Roger Federer on the US Open however he has not been round on the very best rung of the ATP Tour to get many such possibilities.
Sure, he grew to become the primary Indian to win a match at a clay-court Masters — the tier second to solely Grand Slams — and had crushed three straight larger ranked gamers to achieve the second spherical. However taking part in the world no. 7, final yr’s finalist at Monte Carlo, in what is barely his second Masters important draw might have been unnerving. However there was a quiet confidence to Nagal as he refused to be outplayed. He confirmed no nerves to start the match and was firing his groundstrokes from the onset, not letting the event or stress get to him. It was a visible illustration of how far he has come this season.
Nagal might not have the 20-year-old’s expertise on the prime stage however he has lots and extra on his favoured clay courts and he confirmed his vary on the slower floor.
For many a part of the primary set, Nagal matched Rune’s strike for strike as each stayed stage until 3-3. It was then that Rune raised his stage, bought a clutch break for 5-3 after which served out the primary set. It was the primary time that Nagal appeared not sure, getting rushed underneath stress and committing errors. It took him a couple of minutes to get well, as he splayed his subsequent pictures and was damaged within the first recreation of the second with a double fault.
At present did not finish as I might hoped, however I’m happy with the progress I’ve made this week, successful matches in one of many world’s largest tournaments ����
Thanks quite a bit in your messages of help over the previous few days. I actually recognize it! ��������
�� Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters pic.twitter.com/Eys0mqg7Ai
– Sumit Nagal (@nagalsumit) April 11, 2024
That is when the rain interrupted and after the primary shot break, Nagal was again in his groove. He held after which performed out a beautiful, gritty recreation — that really went to deuce for time and lasted over a day — to get the break again.
Rune misplaced some rhythm after rain break and Nagal took full benefit of that. The match was stopped with Nagal having his fourth break level and Rune began the day with a double fault to place the second set again on serve.
Beneath the intense Thursday solar is when Nagal confirmed immense grit to stage the match. In contrast to Rune, he did not let the day’s break unsettle him and got here out firing to breaks once more for a 5-3 lead after which serve the set out. To even take a set off a top-10 participant who has reached the ultimate of two clay-court Masters is not any simple process. He confirmed good management on his pictures, and he countered his opponent’s strikes from baseline to power Rune into errors.
The important thing distinction was that Rune leaked errors initially of the day whereas Nagal performed a measured recreation; the alternative of what their rankings and experiences would point out.
The third set additionally started with Rune getting the break, as Nagal gave his all in a 7-minute recreation the place he saved three break factors and performed a bullet down the road forehand to remain in it. However this time he broke Rune proper again, as soon as once more preserving his recreation composed and carving out the winners when the prospect got here.
Rune dug into his subsequent service recreation too, however he saved a break level and held with some great, versatile pictures — a cracking forehand from the baseline, speeding into the web to play low. It was spectacular underneath stress, however resistance did not final lengthy as Rune upped his stage. Frustration began creeping in Nagal’s recreation over the errors and serving to remain within the match, his run got here to an finish fairly softly.
If his seen annoyance after dropping match level was something to go by, he believed he might have accomplished higher and holding himself to a better commonplace is a superb signal.
A latest entrant into the top-100 membership, Nagal might have simply gone down in opposition to somebody within the top-ten with an enviable teaching roster (Patrick Mouratoglou, Severth Luthi and Boris Becker prior to now.) However he rose to the event and used the stage to showcase the tennis he’s succesful off. The forehand was firing, the sliding returns on clay court docket had been snug and the willpower to not let exterior components, together with some crowd chaos, have an effect on his recreation was standout.
A very spectacular feat was his serving. Later within the match, Nagal’s serve, notably the second, was put underneath stress a number of instances by Rune; figuring out it as an space to use. However he held on, serving effectively underneath and stress and defending it from the baseline. It exhibits that he’s making the mandatory changes to stick with the very best throughout large matches.
Already, Nagal has reached new heights this yr with extra firsts to come back — a assured profession finest rating within the top-80 and a direct entry into the French Open. And that is simply the beginning of the clay season, his favorite time of the yr. With two extra Masters and a Grand Slam on clay to come back, there may be positive to extra firsts for Nagal and Indian tennis.