New York: Sumit Nagal’s trademark fighting spirit was on display throughout but it was not enough to get past world number three Dominic Thiem, who notched up a straight-set victory over the Indian in the US Open men’s singles second round here.
Nagal lost 3-6 3-6 2-6 to the second-seeded Austrian, who celebrated his 27th birthday with a commanding performance at the Arthur Ashe stadium on Thursday.
Thiem, this year’s Australian Open finalist, had said that he has seen videos of Nagal’s game and knew that he has a ripping forehand. Well prepared, he came out with a clear strategy of not giving many balls on the forehand side of the Indian. “Thank you 2020 US Open. Lots to learn. Going to keep working hard! Thanks for all the support everyone,” Nagal later tweeted.
Nagal came into the contest after giving India a rare singles main draw match win at a Grand Slam but it was always going to be a daunting task for him to challenge someone who has made two French Open finals.
Slow off the blocks, Nagal was broken early but the slogger that he is, he kept Thiem under pressure, creating as many as five chances to break back in the fifth game that lasted 10 minutes. He converted the fifth breakpoint when Thiem made an unforced error and made it 3-3 with an easy hold, riding the momentum. Playing with a lot of energy and stinging strokes, those were the best two games that Nagal played as the gap between him and the top players was on display after that. Thiem, using his superior game shifted gears with remarkable ease, turning the tide with an immediate break and served out the set. Nagal lost his serve early again with Thiem getting a grip of his returns.
The Austrian started to serve better and also unleashed his big-hitting game, keeping the match in a tight grip. Thiem broke the 23-year-old Nagal one more time in the seventh with a cross court winner to serve at 5-2.
Nagal got a break back when Thiem hit a backhand long on the third breakpoint but dropped his serve in the next to give his fancied opponent a two-set advantage. Thiem wrapped up the match with ease even as Nagal kept finding winners here and there. He fought hard and saved a match point too, but it was clear that the young Indian’s best was not enough to trouble the top guns.
Rematch
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic puts his undefeated record in 2020 on the line in a third-round match on Day 5 against No. 28 Jan-Lennard Struff.
It’s a rematch: Djokovic beat Struff 6-3, 6-1 last week at the Western & Southern Open, part of the 17-time Grand Slam champion’s 25-0 start to the season.
Key results
Men: No. 3 Daniil Medvedev beat Christopher O’Connell 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; No. 6 Matteo Berrettini beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (6); No. 21 Alex de Minaur beat Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5; Vasek Pospisil beat No. 25 Milos Raonic 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3; No. 31 Marin Cilic beat Norbert Gombos 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5.
Women: No. 2 Sofia Kenin beat Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4; No. 3 Serena Williams beat Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4; Sorana Cirstea beat No. 9 Johanna Konta 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova beat No. 10 Garbiñe Muguruza 7-5, 6-3, No. 22 Amanda Anisimova beat Katrina Scott 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Stat of the day
111-110 — Konta’s edge in total points in her loss to Cirstea.
Quote of the day
“I kept thinking, like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this is the U.S. Open. Where is everybody?’ It’s definitely, like, a huge bummer. I’m not going to lie, pretend like it’s not, because it is.” (AP)
