Bengaluru open: Nagal passes Wong test with flying colours

Bengaluru, February 15

Sumit Nagal was put through his sternest test yet by Coleman Wong but the second-seeded Indian had enough fight in him to battle past his opponent to enter the quarterfinals of the Bengaluru Open here today.

Nagal won 6-2 7-5 after an hour and 46 minutes of intense battle. But, the beginning belied the struggles awaiting Nagal in the later stages of the match.

Nagal continued the pattern of earning an early break when he went up 2-0 in the opening set. But it was not all smooth sailing as the 26-year-old had to battle from 0-30 down in the very next game to hold his serve.

Nagal got another break in the eighth game to bag the first set 6-2. However, the 19-year-old Wong showed more fight in the second set.

After the first four games went by serve, Wong broke Nagal in the fifth game, and it was the first time the Indian dropped his serve in this tournament.

Wong found his groove as his serves and ground shots took a toll on Nagal during this passage.

However, the world No. 98 broke back in the sixth game to restore the parity at 3-3, though it was more the result of his rival committing a couple of unforced errors. In the seventh, Nagal was 0-40 down but lifted his game to make it a deuce and a couple of points later he managed to hold the serve to go 4-3 up.

The Indian star received a brilliant chance to close out the match in the 10th game when he went up 40-15 on Wong’s serve. Wong kept showing resisitance, but Nagal did not miss his third match point which came in the 12th game. — PTI

Ramkumar believes India can tame Sweden

Bengaluru: Ramkumar Ramanathan says the Indian Davis Cup team is well-equipped to tackle the challenge of Sweden even if the hosts choose to play on claycourts in the September tie. India have never beaten Sweden in their five clashes. “I am sure they are going to play on clay. But we have been playing some unbelievable tennis and then there is Sumit Nagal, and I think he can grind them off. It is going to be a close contest, but I am sure we have an edge in doubles,” said Ramkumar.