A four-set defeat at the hands of Roger Federer in the first round of his maiden Grand Slam competition has left Indian fans wanting a lot more but Sumit Nagal’s ambitions are more reserved and practical for now.
Speaking to the media at the end of his opening match at the 2019 US Open, the 22-year-old Jhajjar-born Nagal said he was aiming to make it to the top 100 in the ATP Rankings by the end of the year. And to do that, he was looking to feature in a few Challenger tournaments through to the end of the season.
Nagal, who needed to win three qualifying rounds to make the main draw in Flushing Meadows, took the first set of his much-talked-about encounter against Federer. However, the class of his opponent shone through and he won the next three to clinch the first round encounter.
Speaking of his future plans, Nagal said the first tournament he was now looking to play will be in Italy. He said:
“I go to Italy for a Challenger (Genoa ATP Challenger 125) on clay. Well, it’s going to be just Challengers, challengers until I break the Top 100. So yeah, that’s how it is.”
“I want to do it [break into the top 100] this year. That’s why I have clay court challengers lined up for the rest of the year. That’s what I am chasing.”
Nagal admitted while he enjoyed playing in front of a big crowd like the one at Arthur Ashe, his own game let him down. When queried what he could have done differently, Nagal said he lacked energy at times in the second and third sets of the encounter, and that had an overall effect on his game.
The Indian also said winning the first set made him lose his focus and that also made Federer’s job easier.
Interestingly, Nagal wasn’t the only Indian in the men’s singles draw, with Prajnesh Gunneswaran also being a part of it. Gunneswaran went down in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev in his opening match on Monday too.
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