Australian Open 2024 - Fans flood X as Sumit Nagal becomes 1st Indian to beat a seeded player at Grand Slam since 1989

Ranked 139th in the world, Sumit Nagal is only the third Indian since 2000 to secure a win at the Australian Open.

India's Sumit Nagal

Sumit Nagal of India made history at the Australian Open 2024 by defeating World No. 31 Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(5). This marks the first time in 35 years (since 1989) that an Indian player, regardless of gender, has defeated a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam. Ranked 139th in the world, Nagal is only the third Indian since 2000 to secure a win at the Australian Open.

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After dominating the first set 6-4 and delivering an even more impressive performance in the second set (6-2), securing a 2-0 lead, he encountered some resistance in the third set tie-breaker but ultimately emerged victorious with a score of 7-5.

Indian fans were ecstatic about the 26-year-old's second career Grand Slam main draw win, prompting them to flood social media platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter), with praise for the accomplished tennis player.

Having defeated Slovakia's Alex Molcan in the qualifier final last week, Nagal secured his place in the main draw of the season's inaugural Grand Slam for the second time. Unfortunately, in 2021, he faced a first-round defeat against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis with a score of 2-6, 5-7, 3-6.

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Since Nagal's achievement this year, no other Indian player has reached the singles main draw. Nagal had previously earned a spot in the main draw of the US Open in both 2019 and 2020. At the 2019 US Open, he notably challenged the legendary Roger Federer, pushing him to four sets at Flushing Meadows before ultimately succumbing to a 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6 defeat. The following year, Nagal advanced to the second round of the US Open by defeating Bradley Klahn with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

In men's doubles, Yuki Bhambri and his Dutch partner Robin Haase are scheduled to face Brazil's Rafael Matos and Colombia's Nicolás Barrientos on Court 12.

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