Australian Open 2021: No pressure, only excitement for Sumit Nagal

Rising tennis star Sumit Nagal from India, who has competed against Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem in Grand Slams, is keen on playing a good match in Melbourne.

Published : Feb 02, 2021 18:55 IST , New Delhi

Sumit Nagal feels he will face another top player in the Australian Open starting on Monday.
Sumit Nagal feels he will face another top player in the Australian Open starting on Monday.
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Sumit Nagal feels he will face another top player in the Australian Open starting on Monday.

The matches in the Grand Slams against Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem have propelled the popularity of Sumit Nagal, and he revealed his gut feeling that it could be "another top-10 player" at the Australian Open starting on Monday.

Talking to the media from Melbourne in an online interaction organised by Sony Pictures Network, the 23-year-old said that he had discussed, with his coach Sascha Nensel, about facing a top player again.

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"I want to play a good match. My focus is to to get better, enjoy the experience and play the best tennis possible. I need to work mostly on everything. Lot of work needs to be done’’, said Nagal, ranked 139 in the world.

Trying to make the best of the available time, Nagal was candid in saying that he was far from being a complete player, and was learning a lot from the best players, "the way they do things on court".

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Having played a memorable match against Roger Federer, he said, "He is too tough to match, the way he reads the game. He does not make the same mistake twice."

Pointing out the contrast between Federer and Thiem, one with 20 Grand Slam titles and the other with one, Nagal said that he wanted to play the way Thiem did.

"He has a solid backhand, serves smart, good forehand and very high intensity. I copy him a lot," he added.

Nagal also mentioned that there was no pressure about being one of the very few Indians in Melbourne for the top-flight competition. "I feel proud to represent India," he said.

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