Ending a four-year Challenger identify drought, Sumit Nagal gained the Rome Challenger (ATP Roma Garden Open) beating Jesper De Jong 6-3, 6-2 within the ultimate at the clay courts of the Italian capital on Sunday.
Capping off an excellent week through which he got here during the qualifiers and performed seven suits in 8 days, the 347th-ranked Indian used to be medical towards the sector No. 234 Dutchman. Dropping simply two units all week, Nagal took out the 4th seeded Italian Francesco Maestrelli (international No. 172) and eighth seed Joris De Loore (198) of Belgium alongside the way in which.
With this identify, Nagal, who reached a career-high 122 in 2020, is predicted to leap virtually 100 puts to 254th in the most recent ATP scores. The closing Indian to win an ATP Challenger singles identify used to be Ramkumar Ramanathan in Bahrain in November 2021.
This is the 25-year-old Nagal’s 3rd Challenger identify, and primary since his Buenos Aires triumph in September 2019. Since then, Nagal become best the primary guy since Somdev Devvarman to win a Grand Slam singles fit, on the 2020 US Open, earlier than a hip surgical operation in past due 2021 sidelined him for greater than six months.
His growth derailed, Nagal struggled to regain his stage, rhythm and motion on courtroom after the long damage layoff. Showing sparks of outdated all over the ATP 250 in Pune and India’s Davis Cup away tie towards Denmark this 12 months, the beginning of the Challengers’ house stretch introduced extra sure indicators. Nagal, coaching and staying with trainer Devvarman, complex to the semi-finals of the Chennai Challenger in February.
“Right now, I probably feel the best that I’ve felt in a year or two, since 2019,” Nagal stated then. “I’m feeling good on the court, moving well, fighting well. So, I believe I’m on the right path again.”