Nagal ousted in Chennai Open Rd 1

Chennai: Antoine Escoffier of France caused the first upset of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger here, sending fifth seed Sumit Nagal packing with 6-3, 6-3 win. The two other seeded players in action on the opening day of the $50,000 event, Duckhee Lee (no. 3) and Egypt’s Mohammed Safwat (4), advanced with straightforward wins. While Lee beat N. Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-3, 64, Safwat got past Alessandro Bega of Italy 6-4, 6-3. Escoffier shut out Nagal easily. He broke the Indian in the first and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. In the second set, it was evenstevens till three games all. Escoffier held serve and broke the Indian in the next game to lead 5-3 and take the upper hand. He then served out in the next game to show Nagal the exit. Qualifiers Arjun Khade, Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (Thailand) and Sidharth Rawat got through to the second round.