Sumit Nagal bags Chennai Open ATP Challenger 100 to break in top 100 rankings

Indian tennis ace Sumit Nagal confirmed his place in the top 100 ATP men’s singles rankings on Sunday, February 11. The achievement came after he clinched the Chennai Open 2024 ATP Challenger 100 tournament played at the SDAT Tennis Stadium here in Chennai.

Sumit staged an upset against top-seeded Italian Luca Nardi in straight sets in a lopsided match that spanned not more than one hour and 40 minutes. The Indian was dominant right from the word go, targeting the areas with variable bounce and forcing his opponent to smash the ball outside the court thrice in the first game itself.

Sumit picked up four straight points in the third game after Nardi hit the net three times, the Indian extended the lead to 3-0. The Italian displayed a thumping volley to level at 30-30 and Sumit’s back-to-back nets allowed him to pull the game.

However, that was the only time the 20-year-old prodigy could pocket a game in the first set. A sheer brilliance from Sumit Nagal - a wide to Nardi’s left - helped him save game point before snapping two more points. Sumit was sharp in returning the drop shots with Nardi attempting a loop but to no avail with the ball traveling outside the baseline as Nagal bagged the set 6-1.

Despite a 3-1 lead in the second set, Sumit was tested with some canny drops and a ruthless forehand from his younger counterpart from Parso. But the Haryana-born has mastered the art of nerves of steel. Even after trailing 15-30 in the 10th game, a tremendous return, a high-bounced cross-court, and a nimble serve was enough to claw his way back and bag the winner.

“Every tennis player’s dream is to be in at least top 100. To win this match in front of the home crowd in your own country, I don’t think I could have asked for a better place. Still very emotional. It’s been very tough last few years,” Sumit told reporters after bagging his fifth ATP Challenger title.

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When will Sumit Nagal's ATP rankings be updated?

Sumit Nagal's current ranking is 121 as updated on January 29, 2024, on the official website of ATP. The rankings will be updated on Monday, February 12, with his latest achievement surging him into the top 100, though the exact spot isn't confirmed at the moment.

Sumit is the first Indian since 2019 to break into the top 100 ATP rankings. Prajnesh Gunneswaran was the last man from the country to attain the landmark.

Sumit Nagal scripted history last month in Melbourne after he became the first player to beat a seeded player at the Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989. He defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5).