Sumit Nagal wins ATP Rome Challenger title

ATP Rome Challenger: Sumit Nagal, who had to qualify for the main draw, beat Dutchman Jesper de Jong in straight sets in the final on Sunday.

FILE PHOTO: India’s Sumit Nagal won the ATP Challenger event in Rome on Sunday. | Photo Credit: R Ragu / The Hindu

Sumit Nagal clinched his first ATP Challenger Tour title in almost four years in Rome on Sunday.

World No. 347 Nagal, who had to qualify for the main draw in the Italian capital, beat Jesper de Jong in straight sets to win his third career-title and first since lifting the winner’s trophy in Buenos Aires in 2019. He won his maiden title in Bengaluru in 2017.

The 25-year-old Indian, who has a career-high ranking of 122, won 6-3, 6-2 against Dutchman De Jong, World No.234, in an hour and 42 minutes.

Jhajjar-born Nagal is the first-ever Indian man to win a Challenger Tour title on European clay and first to win on any surface since Ramkumar Ramanathan (Manama, 2021).

Nagal, who trains under former India No. 1 Somdev Devvarrman, suffered from a hip injury late in 2021 and was out of action for five months. By October last year, he was ranked as low as 638.

However, having reached at least the second round in four of the nine Challengers he has played in 2023 with his best result coming in Rome, Nagal is set to re-enter the top 300 as per live ATP Rankings.

Nagal’s run to the title in Rome

• Final - Won 6-3, 6-2 against Jesper de Jong (Netherlands)
• Semifinal - Won 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 against Joris De Loore (Belgium)
• Quarterfinal - Won 7-5, 6-0 against Max Houkes (Netherlands)
• Round of 16 - Won 6-3, 6-0 against Fausto Tabacco (Italy)
• Round of 32 - Won 6-2, 6-4 against Francesco Maestrelli (Italy)
• Final Qualifying Round - Won 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 against Viktor Durasovic (Norway)
• First Qualifying Round - Won 6-4, 6-1 against Jacopo Berrettini (Italy)