Sumit Nagal defeats Facundo Diaz Acosta in qualifying draw, becomes first Indian in 42 years to reach Monte-Carlo Masters main draw

Sumit Nagal scripted history on Sunday (April 7) as he became the first Indian tennis player in 42 years to reach the main draw of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

He achieved the historic feat after beating Facundo Acosta in the second and final round of the qualifiers. Nagal got the better of the 55th-ranked player 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

The Indian tennis sensation continued to showcase a rollicking performance as he made his way to the main draw of the ATP 1000 event. Nagal didn’t start the game on a bright note, trailing 2-5 in the first set.

However, he displayed great resilience and went on to win it 7-5. Acosta made a great comeback in the next set but it was the Indian, who eventually sealed the match.

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Sumit Nagal started the Monte-Carlo Masters campaign with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Flavio Cobolli

Earlier, the 26-year-old had beaten the world number 63 Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-3 in the first qualifier match on Saturday.

Sumit Nagal has been continuously making headlines since reaching the second round of the Australian Open in January.

With that, he also became the first-ever Indian male player to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam event in 35 years.

However, he couldn’t progress further as he lost the encounter 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6 against Juncheng Shang.

Nagal then reached the 97th rank after a stellar performance at the Chennai Open.

Ahead of the Marrakech Open, an ATP 250 event, Sumit Nagal climbed to his career-best ranking of 95 in the ATP rankings. Nagal also left everyone in awe with his scintillating performance at this tournament.

The Indian kicked off his campaign with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Corentin Moutet. He fought hard in the next clash against Lorenzo Sonego but the latter won the match in the end.