Super Sumit show Murray back from the brink
Nagal first Indian to win Slam match in 7 years
New York, Sept. 2: Sumit Nagal became the first Indian to win a round at a Grand Slam in seven years when he downed American Bradley Klahn in his US Open first round, setting up a contest against World No.3 Dominic Thiem, here.
Returning to the Flushing Meadows where he took a set off Roger Federer, the Indian got past the local rival 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in two hours and 12 minutes on Tuesday night.
Somdev Devavarman was the last Indian to win a main draw match at a major and incidentally, it was at the US Open in 2013 when he beat Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko after coming through qualifiers.
“I qualified for a junior Slam in 2013 here and then the men’s and now to win my first round here means a lot. I enjoy playing here and it has worked out in my favour few times,” Nagal said.
“It was not easy to walk inside the court knowing this match is more in your favour. I was definitely nervous and especially playing for my first slam win but I did the things I was supposed to and kept my composure,” he added.
After Somdev, Indian tennis saw the rise of Yuki Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Prajnesh Gunnes-waran but none of them could win a main draw round.
Ramkumar did not even qualify for a main draw in many attempts.
Bhambri had to cope with injuries and that halted his progress. Between 2015 and 2018 he competed all four majors but never crossed a round.
Nagal said Indian tennis should have done better and partly blamed it on the not-so-helpful “system” as well.
Up next for him will be Austria’s top player Thiem, who advanced when his Spanish rival Jaume Munar retired before the start of the third set. Thiem was leading 7-6(6), 6-3 when Munar found it difficult to continue as he injured his knee during the second set.
Nagal hardly cares for reputations and is expected to make it tough for the World No.3. —
New York, Sept. 2: Serena Williams’ quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam got off the mark as Andy Murray rolled back the years with a vintage comeback at the US Open Tuesday.
Six-time winner Williams powered past
96th-ranked Kristie Ahn after Murray came from two sets down to win a five-set thriller in his first singles Slam match in 18 months.
The pair both progressed to the second round on day two of a US Open that is unrecognisable from previous tournaments, without spectators and with stringent measures to prevent
Covid-19 infections. Williams defeated Ahn 7
5, 6-3 as she started the latest bid of her protracted pursuit to match Margaret Court’s Grand Slam title with a straightsets win. The 38-year-old overcame the loss of her first service game in the opening set to advance at a virtually empty Arthur Ashe Stadium, where artwork by black artists is displayed in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement against racial injustice.
I qualified for a junior Slam in 2013 here and then the men’s and now to win my first round here means a lot. I enjoy playing here and it has worked out in my favour few times. SUMIT NAGAL
after beating Bradley Klahn in US
Open first round
A title win for Serena would also see her become the most decorated women’s player at the US Open in the modern era. She is currently tied with Chris Evert on six.
Murray secured a stunning 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 come-frombehind victory in a bruising 4 hr and 39 min encounter against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
The Scotsman, who who has barely played in 2020, said he had learnt a lot about his physical condition and the metal hip he received during surgery last year. “I’ve just played a four-and-a-half hour match when I never thought I’d be able to,” he told reporters.
Tenth seed Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 French Open champion,
advanced to round two with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Nao Havino.
Second seed American Sofia Kenin needed just over an hour to score a 6-2,
6-2 win over unseeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. And ninth seed Johanna Konta beat compatriot Heather Watson 7
6 (9/7), 6-1 in a tie dubbed the “Battle of Britain.”
—