Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal began his Bengaluru Open 2024 campaign impressively with a convincing straight-set victory over France’s Geoffrey Blancaneax.
The 26-year-old, who recently recently broke into ATP top 100, after winning the title in Chennai, showcased clinical service games and capitalized on his opponent’s second serves, securing a 6-2, 6-2 win in the singles opening round, at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association Stadium.
Seeded second in the tournament, Nagal created eight break point opportunities in the first set, converting two before comfortably holding in the eighth game to claim the set. Carrying the momentum into the second set, he broke Blancaneaux in the opening game, establishing control.
Nagal faced pressure on his serve for the first time in the fourth game of the second set but managed to save three break points, securing a 3-1 lead and ultimately clinching victory in an hour and 28 minutes. His next challenge will be against Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong, who defeated Rafael Collignon of Belgium 6-4, 7-6(4).
The prestigious tournament also witnessed former World No. 25 Canada’s Vasek Pospisil surviving a scare in the opening round, while Australian former Top-20 ranked Bernard Tomic couldn’t advance despite a strong start in his first-round clash against Tristan Boyer of the USA.