Indian tennis sensation Sumit Nagal made history by defeating World No. 27 Alexander Bublik who was seeded 31st in Melbourne, in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open.
Nagal, earning his spot in the main draw through qualifiers, secured the first set 6-4 and displayed an even more dominant performance in the second set (6-2) to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Despite Bublik’s efforts in the third set, Nagal’s superior play proved decisive. In the hard-fought third set, decided in a tiebreak, the 137th-ranked Indian player emerged victorious, advancing to the second round.
This historic win marks Nagal’s first win against a top 50 player and propels him to the second round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career.
Despite Bublik’s reputation for flamboyant shot-making and an unpredictable style, Nagal, ranked 137th in the world, exhibited remarkable composure and resilience from the beginning. He neutralized Bublik’s power with consistent baseline play, capitalizing on the Kazakh’s unforced errors. Nagal served confidently, applying pressure on Bublik’s return game and dictating the rallies.
The first set was closely contested, with both players breaking each other’s serves. However, Nagal seized the opportunity at 5-4, breaking Bublik’s serve to claim the opener 6-4. This seemed to disrupt Bublik’s momentum, as Nagal surged ahead in the second set, winning it 6-2 with a dominant display of aggressive baseline tennis.
After two shaky sets, Bublik found his rhythm in the third, keeping pace with Nagal. However, just as Nagal approached victory at 5-4, Bublik staged a comeback with a crucial break, leading to a tense tiebreak.
Despite Bublik’s valiant fightback, Nagal held firm, closing out the match 7-5 and sparking jubilant celebrations among the Indian contingent in the stands.
Nagal’s second-round qualification is a massive feat in tennis history for Indians. In the past, no Indian player has ventured beyond the third round in the men’s singles event at the Australian Open.