Sumit Nagal has earned a place in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open after victory over Alex Molcan

Sumit Nagal achieved a significant milestone on Friday, securing a place in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open, scheduled to commence on January 14th. He accomplished this by defeating Slovakia’s Alex Molcan in the final qualifier with a straight-set victory of 6-4, 6-4. This marks Nagal’s second appearance at the Australian Open, with his previous participation in 2021, where he exited in the first round.

Currently ranked 139th in the world singles rankings, Nagal is no stranger to the grand stages of tennis. He has previously competed in the main draw of the US Open twice, in 2019 (where he won a set against Roger Federer) and 2020. Additionally, he was part of the main draw at the Australian Open in 2021, although he faced defeat against Lithuania’s Ričardas Berankis (2-6, 5-7, 3-6).

In the match against Molcan, Nagal entered with good form, having secured two consecutive wins leading up to the final qualifier. While he faced a late comeback attempt by the Slovakian in the opening set, Nagal maintained his momentum and clinched it with a score of 6-4. In the second set, Nagal once again took the lead, with the latter half of the game becoming more challenging. However, Nagal’s effective serves and aces helped him secure the second set 6-4, earning him a spot in the main draw of the prestigious Melbourne event.

As Nagal advances to the men’s singles main draw of the Australian Open, he will be eager to make a strong impression among formidable contenders like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and others.