Sumit Nagal started the year with injury troubles and ended it with his first Challenger title. (Source: AP)
Indian youngster Sumit Nagal frittered away a one-set advantage against 10th seed Slovakian Martin Klizan in the first round to bow out of the French Open qualifiers. Nagal was up against a player, who recently enjoyed a giant-killing spree at the Barcelona Open, defeating Novak Djokovic and Feliciano Lopez. World No 117 Klizan won 4-6 6-4 6-1 in just over two hours.
There are two more Indians in the fray with Ramnathan Ramkumar, seeded 12th, drawn to clash with Great Britain’s Jay Clarke and Prajnesh Gunnesweran up against Italian Salvatore Caruso in the first round. India’s Prajnesh Gunnesweran won his encounter while Ramkumar Ramanathan lost his respective men’s singles opening round matches at the French Open Qualifiers. Gunnesweran beat Italian Salvatore Caruso in straight sets 6-4 6-4 to enter the second round in an otherwise disappointing day. Ramkumar, who was seeded 12th lost to world No 225 Jay Clarke 3-6 7-5 1-6 in an hour and 51 minutes.
The left-handed Prajnesh recently broke into top-200 after winning Kunming Open Challenger in Anning, China. Yuki Bhambri has earned direct entry into the main draw after breaking into top-100.