Just consider how close Sumit Nagal was to sealing a memorable triumph in the ongoing Bengaluru Tennis Open. At one point in the final-set tiebreak, he was leading Harold Mayot 6–2. The titanic struggle between the two players had sent the crowd into delirium. Alas, it soon became 6–6, and after a slugfest that lasted more than three hours, Mayot clinched the tiebreak 13–11 to silence the crowd. The final scoreline read 6–7, 6–1, 6–7 in favour of Mayot.
In total, Nagal squandered seven match points in the tiebreak, which included a misjudgment, with the Indian waiting for the ball to go past the tramline, only for it to kiss it. This one point would rankle the experienced campaigner for a while. It was a rollercoaster of a match in which the No. 2 seed from France took the first set, with Nagal comfortably winning the second, 6–1.
So where did Nagal go wrong? Perhaps he didn’t dent Mayot’s single-handed backhand enough in the first set. The Frenchman either played a slice backhand or simply blocked it back. Although Nagal often targeted that wing, he couldn’t force the issue on enough occasions. Mayot’s rather powerful serve also played a part, as he ended up serving 10 aces in the match, with Nagal struggling a tad to find depth on his returns. Nagal also tried to rattle his opponent with net approaches, but he struggled to put the volleys away into the open court.
Although Nagal did well to save two match points in the last set, it was an average performance from the veteran. Nagal throwing his racquet towards the adjacent court after the completion of the match said everything you need to know about a player frustrated with his game.
Despite Nagal’s loss, there was enough to cheer about for the home crowd. The 6’5” big-serving Dhakshineswar Suresh overcame France’s Felix Balshaw 6–3, 1–6, 7–6. There is no doubt that Suresh possesses some powerful weapons, including his booming serve, which he employed to great effect by firing 11 aces.
Suresh showcased composure too, after finding himself on the edge of the precipice at 5–6 in the final set. At that juncture, he broke back to level it at 6–6. The highlight of that game was a stunning cross-court backhand pass. In the tiebreak, he held his nerve to seal the deal.
“I really love the place and the conditions,” he said after the match. “Today, I just aimed to go out there and play my game style and not worry too much – control the controllables. My serve is definitely one of my biggest weapons. I’ve been working on it a lot over the past few years, so I’m happy that I could rely on it today. In the next match as well, I’ll try to do the same thing – control the controllables – and we’ll see what happens.”
Unfortunately, Suresh has had issues with finances and doesn’t have a coach at the moment. He made a late decision to play collegiate tennis for Wake Forest in the USA and was ranked inside the top 10 in singles at the collegiate level. At one point, he was even ranked as high as No. 3. Fingers crossed, Suresh gets his finances sorted, as he is a player who could be the future of Indian men’s tennis. Recently, in an exhibition game, he stunned Daniil Medvedev – and by now, you must have understood the essence of that victory: the bazooka serve.
Manas Dhamne’s performance proved to be another bright spot for Indian men’s tennis as he downed Beibit Zhukayev 6–2, 3–6, 6–2. Compared to last year, Manas seems to have upgraded his retrieving skills and fitness. He also showcased his passing shots, exemplified by a backhand down-the-line winner at a crucial juncture in the final set. Additionally, he showed strong game awareness by stepping a couple of feet inside the baseline to put pressure on his opponent’s second serve.
Zhukayev’s kick serve was always going to be difficult to return on courts that offer a zippy bounce. However, his first-serve percentage dipped to just 54% in the match, which in turn helped the Indian.
Suresh will next take on Mayot, while Manas will be up against Matteo Martineau.
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