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‘It has been more emotional than physical': Sumit Nagal's stirring reaction after historic AUS Open win over Bublik
Sumit Nagal produced a dominating performance to defeat Alexander Bublik in straight sets to enter the second round of Australian Open.
Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal achieved a historic victory at the Australian Open, securing his spot in the second round with a remarkable straight-sets win over the 31st seed, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. The 26-year-old, who entered the main draw through qualifiers, displayed outstanding prowess on the court, defeating his higher-ranked opponent 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7-5) in a challenging match lasting two hours and 38 minutes. This victory marked Nagal's inaugural progression to the second round of the Australian Open, a significant milestone in his career, especially considering his 2021 first-round exit at the hands of Ricardas Berankis.
Currently ranked 139th in the world, Nagal's triumph made him the first Indian in 35 years to beat a seeded player in a Grand Slam tournament. Nagal was denied a regional wild card by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for his refusal to play the Davis Cup match in Pakistan and had to play through qualifiers to secure a place in the main round.
Also read Where Sumit Nagal's stunning Australian Open 2024 win over Bublik ranks in the history of Indian singles tennis
"The last 12-18 months have been (a mix of) good and bad. Bad in a way where I couldn't play well, and good in a way that I learned from them. After the injury, I became more mature and much better. I understood tennis much better.
“I knew the conditions were going to be tough and hot. No big server likes to serve in the wind, so I knew if I was going to return serves, it would annoy him. That's what I did, and it worked. The first two sets were not the way he probably wanted. It's tennis; sometimes you feel the ball, and sometimes you don't. Today, I kept calm and played probably one of my best tennis matches so far,” Nagal told SonyLIV.
Nagal further mentioned the past few days, starting from the qualification round, had been more ‘emotional' than physical.
“I'm feeling good. It's been more emotional than physical. Every match, I'm getting better and better. I struggled to play two sets on Friday. Today, I played three. I haven't been at this stage every game. The plan for tomorrow is to take it easy, take an ice bath, and get a massage. Pretty typical,” said Nagal.
Sumit Nagal's win on Tuesday adds another chapter to his Grand Slam journey as he advances to the second round for the second time in his career. His previous entry to this stage was at the 2020 US Open, where he faced the formidable second seed and eventual champion, Dominic Thiem. Nagal will meet the unseeded Shan Juncheng in the second round, and a win in that match will potentially set up a clash against world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz in the third round.
