Tennis
Tennis: Sumit Nagal becomes first Indian to win ATP Challenger title on European clay
The Indian singles player did well throughout the tournament to clinch his third ATP Challenger title.
Sumit Nagal (Source: Indian Tennis Daily)
Sumit Nagal defeated Netherland's Jesper De Jong in the final of the ATP Challenger Rome to clinch the singles title on Sunday. The Indian beat De Jong in straight sets with a final score of 6-3, 6-2.
Nagal had a brilliant six-match unbeaten streak in the Italy tournament to reach the summit match. In the qualifiers, he defeated second-seeded Viktor Durasovic from Norway in a thrilling match. After initially winning the first set 7-5, the Indian conceded the second set 5-7. Ultimately, he booked his spot in the main round with a 6-2 win in the final set.
It was another seeded affair after Sumit defeated fourth-seed Francesco Maestrelli 6-2, 6-4 in the Round of 32 match. Thereafter, Nagal doled out two more straight-set victories against Italy's Frausto Tabacco in the Round of 16 (6-3, 6-0) and Netherland's Max Houkes in the quarter-final (7-5, 6-0).
The semi-final saw the Indian beat eight-seeded Joris De Loore of Belgium in a three-setter (2-6, 7-5, 6-4), where Sumit conceded the lead in the first set itself, and valiantly fought back to advance to the final.
With this win in the final, Sumit Nagal clinched his third ATP Challenger title. Moreover, he created history by being the first ever tennis player from the country to win an ATP Challenger singles title in an European clay tournament.
