Sumit Nagal loses to 18-year-old Juncheng Shang in second round of Australian Open 2024
Sumit Nagal's dream run at the Australian Open 2024 ended on Thursday, January 18, following defeat to China's teenage sensation Juncheng Shang in the second round at the John Cain Arena.
Shang won 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, & 6-4 against the top-ranked Indian men's singles in a match that went to nearly three hours.
Despite having the advantage in the first set, Nagal lacked vitality and force required to match the intensity of his younger opponent. The 18-year-old displayed tremendous volleys and whizzed past the depth of Sumit's court with decisive winners.
Nagal managed to break Shang's service only once in the last three sets. Though Shang made as many as 52 unforced errors, the southpaw was relentless in his service, accumulating 86 points. He won three break points, which was the decisive factor in his turnaround after dropping the first set.
Sumit Nagal turned aggressive in the extended rallies in the third set, making the Chinese earn for every point rather than throwing them. He aced his service to bridge the game tally to 4-5 in the fourth set, but the sensational Shang didn't leave any room for a comeback. A cross and wide serve was returned to the net by Nagal, securing a place in the third round for the Chinese.
Sumit Nagal script history in Australian Open
Sumit Nagal became the first Indian men's singles player to defeat a seeded player in a Grand Slam event since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989. Nagal achieved this feat by defeating World No.27 Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the first round.
Nagal won three qualifying rounds en route to sealing a main draw of the Australian Open. He was denied a wildcard nomination by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for his refusal to participate in the Davis Cup tie in Pakistan on the grounds that the matches were being played on grass.
The Haryana-born player has now reached the second round of a Grand Slam event twice, achieving the feat before at the 2020 US Open.