Cologne 2: Sumit Nagal vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Sumit Nagal vs Miomir Kecmanovic

Date: 19 October 2020

Tournament: Bett1Hulks Championship 2020

Round: First round (Round of 32)

Venue: Cologne, Germany

Category: ATP 250

Surface: Indoor hardcourt

Prize money: €325,610

Match timing: Approx. 4 pm CEST, 7.30 pm IST

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel

Sumit Nagal vs Miomir Kecmanovic preview

Sumit Nagal, India's top-ranked singles player, would not have expected to play in the Cologne 2 main draw yesterday. The World No. 130 had lost to Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final round of the qualifiers.

However, with a couple of players pulling out of the tournament at the last minute, Nagal has got in as a lucky loser.

The India player has had an interesting year so far. He produced a solid run at the US Open 2020, where he made it to the main draw for the second year in a row. He also got his first victory at a Grand Slam in the first round, beating USA's Bradley Klahn in four sets.

Nagal came up against eventual champion Dominic Thiem in the second round, and succumbed to a straight-sets defeat. However, the Indian impressed at various parts of the fixture, even breaking the Austrian's serve twice.

Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic comes into this match as the heavy favorite on paper, sitting 91 places ahead of Nagal in the ATP rankings.

Kecmanovic had an excellent run at the Kitzbuhel Open in September, where he won his maiden ATP singles title. But since then he's struggled to make a similar impact, having gotten past the first round just once in three tournaments.

Sumit Nagal vs Miomir Kecmanovic head-to-head

Sumit Nagal and Miomir Kecmanovic have not met on tour before. They go into this fixture with their head-to-head tied at 0-0.

Sumit Nagal vs Miomir Kecmanovic prediction

Sumit Nagal has a decent hardcourt record, with his only title at the Challenger level coming on this surface.

The Indian has an excellent forehand, which is particularly effective while attacking. His movement on the court is also pretty impressive.

The weaknesses in Nagal's game are his serve and return, which Miomir Kecmanovic will hope to exploit in Cologne.

The Serb has an aggressive style of play, and enjoys dictating rallies from the baseline. At the junior level Kecmanovic had risen all the way up to World No. 1, so his talent is unquestionable.

While clay is Kecmanovic's strongest surface, it's likely that his experience and skill level will take him past Nagal on Monday.

Prediction: Miomir Kecmanovic to win in three sets.