After losing to China’s Shang Juncheng in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday, India’s rising tennis sensation Sumit Nagal’s idyllic start came to an abrupt stop. Nagal gave it their all to win every point, but ultimately fell short 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6. Nagal got off to a great start, winning the opening set 6-2 and demonstrating India’s supremacy. With a powerful forehand play, Shang tried to outmaneuver Nagal, but the Indian countered by outplaying his opponents at his own game. Shang was forced to play a backhand stroke by Nagal, which gave rise to several forced errors as a result.
Shang’s impressive serve game dealt a reality check to Nagal, who was riding high on confidence. The famous Indian tennis player answered back, leveling the score at one, but Shang won the next three games by breaking Nagal’s serve. The Indian attempted to mount a late charge and rally, but Shang maintained his cool to even the score. Nagal put up a fierce fight against world number 140, driven by a desire to regain the lead. Each player put in a lot of effort to break the other’s serve. The youthful Chinese star eventually found the fortitude to win consecutive games and take the lead for the first time.
Nagal had no choice but to win the fourth set after suffering his second straight loss. The set seems about to collapse once more. As the score stood 4–4, Shang changed gears, forcing Nagal to move from the forehand to the backhand. With a service ace, he ended the match and advanced to the third round. Even though he became the first Indian player to defeat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam in 35 years—since 1989—Nagal would nonetheless exit the competition with a high head.
