Sumit Nagal bows out of ATP Parma Challenger
India’s top-ranked tennis player, Sumit Nagal had his moments in a three-set encounter but ultimately could not progress to the quarter-finals.
India’s Sumit Nagal fought hard but fell 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to Serbian third seed Laslo Dere in the men’s singles Round of 16 at the ATP 125 Challenger in Parma, Italy on Wednesday.
Nagal had earlier beaten Giulio Zeppieri in straight sets but was not able to replicate that performance against Dere.
The 127th-ranked Nagal, India’s best on the ATP circuit, led 4-0 in the first set at one point but lost serve four times himself after that to concede the set 7-5.
The situation was reversed in the second set as Nagal, who trailed 4-2, reeled off four consecutive games to win the set 6-4 and level the match.
In the well-contested decider, Nagal was broken twice to Dere’s one as the latter clinched the match.
However, Indian tennis had something to cheer about on the day as Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Kamil Majchrzak won their pre-quarter doubles encounter.
Gunneswaran-Majchrzak beat local pair Alessio de Bernardis and Francesco Passaro 6-4, 6-2.
They face the Uruguayan-Ecuadorian team of Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Balaji beats Ramanathan
Elsewhere in Spain, N Sriram Balaji knocked out compatriot Ramkumar Ramanathan at the Sanchez-Casal Leotron Catalonia ATP Challenger tournament in Barcelona.
Third-seeded N Sriram Balaji and partner Luca Margaroli beat the Indo-Australian pair of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Aleksandar Vukic 5-7, 6-4, 10-5 in the men’s doubles Round of 16.
Balaji-Margaroli will now face Spaniards Sergio Martos Gornes and Mario Vilella Martinez in the quarterfinals.