Australian Open: Sumit Nagal Stuns World No. 27 Bublik, Cruises into Second Round

Melbourne: Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal secured a remarkable victory at the Australian Open, defeating the 31st seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets on Tuesday. Nagal, 26, entered the second round for the first time in his career, triumphing with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7-5) in a challenging match lasting two hours and 38 minutes.

This historic win marked the first time in 35 years that an Indian player defeated a seeded opponent in a Grand Slam, with the last instance occurring in 1989 when Ramesh Krishnan overcame Mats Wilander, the then-world number one and defending champion at the Australian Open.

Sumit Nagal, ranked 137th globally, secured his spot in the second round by breaking Bublik’s serve twice in the first set, ultimately winning it 6-4. The Indian player continued his dominance in the second set, breaking serve twice again and clinching a 6-2 victory. In the third set, both players held their serves until Nagal broke Bublik in the seventh game, eventually winning the set 7-6(7-5) after a tie-breaker.

This win marked Nagal’s first progression to the second round of the Australian Open, and only the second time in his career reaching this stage in a Grand Slam. His previous second-round appearance was at the 2020 US Open, where he faced eventual champion Dominic Thiem.

Sumit Nagal’s impressive start at the Australian Open followed his qualification through a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Slovakia’s Alex Molcan in the qualifying final. Nagal, who made his Grand Slam debut at the 2019 US Open against Roger Federer, has now become the first Indian player to win a Grand Slam singles match since Somdev Devvarman in 2013.