Sixth seeded Sumit Nagal of India will face local lad and 18-year-old Jiri Lehecka in the third round of the 2020 Prague Challenger on Wednesday, August 19. This match is scheduled to begin not before 12 noon local time (11 am BST). Get the live streaming options of this Sumit Nagal v Jiri Lehecka match along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
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Sumit Nagal v Jiri Lehecka Head to Head
Nagal and Lehecka haven’t played each other in a singles match before this.
Also Read:
Nagal Edges out Clarke
Having not played on clay all season, Nagal was expected to feel some kind of rustiness coming into this tournament. More so given his opponent Jay Clarke had already played an extra match – Nagal had a bye.
Not to mention, it’s not been the best season for the Indian, whose best performance came in a tournament during the pandemic break where he won a couple of matches. Other than that, a first round loss at his home ATP competition, the Pune Open had been preceded by a qualifier ouster at the year’s first Grand Slam.
And having lost his second match at the Bangalore Challenger, and the first at Pau, he might have started a favourite against Clarke but it wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Not even after his 2-0 head to head record against the Brit, because they were playing outside India for the first time.
Which is why Nagal would be pleased to have come through in that second round match, winning 6-3, 5-7, 4-1 before his opponent retired. Facing him now is an opponent who is ranked nearly 500 places below him.
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Inexperienced Lehecka with the Advantage of a Solid Pandemic Break
While all competitive tennis was off during the pandemic break, Lehecka played in a whopping 11 tournaments, all of which came on clay. And his record in these exhibition tournaments? A solid win-loss record of 23-6.
Which is why when he came into this tournament as a wild-card, there was a sense he shouldn’t be overlooked as someone expected to punch above his weight – a weight of being ranked a measely 612th in the world.
He proved his rank is just a number as Lehecka didn’t just win his first two rounds here at the Prague Challenger, he did so in rasping fashion. First he demolished Nicola Kuhn 6-3, 6-3 in his opener before sending the 141st-ranked Blaz Rola out in another straight-set win.
And this is also why Nagal will do well to bring out his A game into this match.
Sumit Nagal v Jiri Lehecka Prediction & Tip
Despite the obvious difference in the rankings, it’s interesting to note it’s Lehecka who starts off as a favourite here at 8/13. Nagal is 6/5 to win this, and while the Czech will have the advantage, expecting the Indian to fight hard here.
Tip: Over 22.5 games in the match: 10/11 (bet365)
You can watch & bet on the Prague Challenger on Wednesday, August 19 here. Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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