Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal is now eligible to compete in the men’s singles event at the Tokyo Olympics. The International Tennis Federation, the governing body of the sport, communicated his eligibility to the All India Tennis Association, the national federation, on Friday

Nagal was ranked 144 on June 14, when ATP rankings were to be considered for direct entries. The coronavirus protocols, among other things, has forced many withdrawals that kept lowering the cut-off mark.

“We have received a mail from the ITF that Sumit is now eligible. They have asked for his details. We have started the process of getting him in,” an AITA official told PTI.

Yuki Bhambri, with his Protected Ranking of 127, also made the cut but since he recently underwent a procedure on his right knee in the US, he has made himself unavailable.

“I won’t be playing,” Bhambri told PTI.

Another specialist singles player Prajnesh Gunneswaran was ranked 148 and it remains to be seen if he also makes the cut as the deadline for accepting tennis entries is closing in a few hours from now.

If Nagal can make it to Tokyo by completing all the required formalities, it will be interesting to see if he makes the doubles draw with Rohan Bopanna, who could not enter with Divij Sharan till now.

Bopanna and Sharan’s combined rank is 113 and they were still the fifth alternate recently.

ITF is giving priority to the singles players to fill the doubles draw.

Nagal’s entry would also mean that India can now have a team in the mixed doubles draw as well.

As of now only Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina are certain to compete in the women’s doubles draw. Sania used her protected rank of nine to enter with Ankita.

All top-10 players get direct entry and have the privilege to choose a partner of their choice, who is ranked inside top-300.

With PTI Inputs