European Challengers 2023

[vatsalnew]

Seems like RR is done. He's been consistently losing every tournament for about 2-3 years.

You mean "2-3 months", right?

[jayakris]

He probably meant 1-2 years. It is much more than 2-3 months. He has hardly won anything since the Doha challenger title 1.5 years ago.

[arjun2761]

Sumit has a one sided win and RamK one sided loss.

At Troisdorf Challenger 75, Germany (Clay)

[Q1] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,254) d. Sergey Fomin (UZB,574) 61 61

[Q1] Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND,458) l. (6) Oroil Roca Batalla (ESP,304) 26 26

Next,

[Q2] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,254) vs. Robert Strombachs (GER,411)

I think Fomin is #367, so looks like Sumit is fully fit!

His next opponent is from Latvia who has won a lot of matches this year but mostly at the futures level.

[jayakris]

RamK has had only 4 aces in the last 4 sets he has played, against Sumit and Batalla. That is way below his rate. He won't win much if he doesn't have at least 3 or 4 aces per set - which would normally mean about as many or more service winners too, adding to some 7 to 10 straight points on the serve itself per set. Plus he would serve his way out of breakpoints more often too. In the last two matches, he has got broken 9 times out of 20 break attempts. 45% BP conversion on his serve. That is at least 2 or 3 more than he should have allowed in 20 attempts (something like 25% to 33% percent BPs on one's serve is normal but not 45% for a hard server like him). Basically I think his serve deserting him, is taking him out of the matches. He was never too great in the return game to counterbalance that.

Rajiv had said that there was some injury that he was resting for. Not sure what. If it is the arm/wrist/shoulder that affects his service, the current issues are quite explainable. His mind was always a problem, but he overcame those all through his career with his serve, but apparently not anymore?

I haven't watched the two latest Q1 matches that he lost. If any of you saw, has his serve just gone weak now?

[arjun2761]

It’s hard to win clay court matches based on aces. Even big servers like Tsitsipas and Korda served no more than 2-3 aces per set in their first round matches, so Ramk does not really have the game to do well in clay.

[jayakris]

^^^ Good point. Of course. I forgot that these were on clay. Still, RamK from earlier would throw in 2 or 3 aces a set. Will need to see what he does on hardcourts or grass later.

[Dinesh]

^^^ If he is able to play any grass court challengers? With a ranking of #458, he will not be able to get in any of the challenger singles qualifying brackets. Time to make the focus on becoming a full-time doubles specialist. He may need someone regular to partner with.

[prasen9]

He should play futures and improve his rank. Right now he is losing to everybody. He needs to start winning somewhere.

[jayakris]

[Q2] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,254) l. Robert Strombachs (GER,411), 16 67(4)

Sumit converted only 1 of 10 break chances while Strombachs converted 3 of 6. That was pretty much the difference. Sumit can only hope for a lucky loser spot now.

The main draw shows 9 qualifier spots, which means 3 LLs will be there, right??

[Dinesh]

^^^ Yes, so at least 50% chance for Sumit again to get a MD spot. 3 Germans lost in the FQR. Let’s see how the organizers handle this LL selection.

[vparam]

Sumit is in the main draw. He will play Kuzmanov in the first round.

[jayakris]

Sumit made the main draw as an LL.

[R1] (LL) Sumit Nagal (IND,254) vs Dimitar Kuzmanov (BUL,208)

[Omkara]

Good.

[sameerph]

Sumit has taken the first set 63 but is down a break 0-1 in second set.

[sameerph]

Lost the second set 16.