Sardegna Open ATP 250, Italy - April 5th to 11th 2021

[Dinesh]

Sumit is in the qualifying entry list (expected to be one of the top 8 seeds) and Divij is partnering with Aussie Matt Ebden in the doubles main draw. Purav and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn are #7 in the doubles alternates list.

Hoping for a successful tournament for our guys.

[sameerph]

Sumit is third seed in qualfying draw here and he is playing local player in first round.

[Q1] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,139) vs. Andrea Pellegrino (ITA,283)

Last year at the ATP tournament at same place in October, Pellegrino qualified and won a round against top 70 player, Travaglia. In the same tournament, Sumit too qualified for the main draw before losing in first round. So, it is a match between 2 players who had done quite well on same courts just a few months back.

[RohitG]

Match has started. Following the scores on the atptour site since couldn't get a stream. Sumit broke back to make it 1-1 but got broken again. 1-2 now with opponent to serve

[sameerph]

You can watch it here-

Sumit Nagal - Andrea Pellegrino

From 1-3 down, Sumit has won the last 3 games to lead 4-3 but on serve.

[sameerph]

After being 1-3 down, Sumit wins the next 5 games to take the first set 6-3.

[sameerph]

After being 4-0 and 40-0 up in second set, suddenly Sumit started playing defensively and other guy started playing better and it went to 4-3 and then a breakpoint down to level at 4-4, but Sumit recovered back and completed a good win over a tricky player.

[Q1] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,139) d. Andrea Pellegrino (ITA,283) 63 64

Next,

[Q2] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,139) vs. Maxime Janvier (FRA,219)

[RohitG]

Thanks Sameer.

That was a good hold in the 8th game by Sumit to get himself ahead. If he wins tomorrow, he will face a qualifier in R1. Will be a game of contrasts as his French opponent is a tall bloke at 6'5 and will rely on his serve.

[suresh]

Thanks Sameer for the updates. In a strange twist, the four qualifiers play each other in the first round of the Sadegna Open. Sumit gets to play someone who beat the 7th second in the final qualifying round.

[PKBasu]

Sumit plays Maxime Janvier, who beat Maxime Cressy (an American of French extraction) in Q1. Cressy is an old-fashioned serve and volleyer. I think Sumit will have the clear edge against Janvier in Q2, and get into the main draw comfortably. That the winner will get to play a fellow-qualifier in R1 is pretty good news too.

[PKBasu]

Sumit has played Janvier once in the past -- long ago, at a Futures in Poland on clay in 2016 -- and won in straight sets.

[PKBasu]

Ebden/Sharan are the 3rd seeds in doubles, and they play Nielsen/Huey in R1.

[arjun2761]

After being 4-0 and 40-0 up in second set, suddenly Sumit started playing defensively and other guy started playing better and it went to 4-3 and then a breakpoint down to level at 4-4, but Sumit recovered back and completed a good win over a tricky player.

[Q1] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,139) d. Andrea Pellegrino (ITA,283) 63 64

Next,

[Q2] (3) Sumit Nagal (IND,139) vs. Maxime Janvier (FRA,219)

Looking at the online scoring, I wondered what happened after he had won 9 games in a row from 1-3 to 6-3, 4-0 and seemingly on the way to an easy victory. Lesson learned is that easing up at this level isn't smart for someone like him who does not hit a ton of winners and aces. He needs to keep grinding to win and seemingly he did that again in the end.

[PKBasu]

Sumit's Q2 match is at 11am local time on Campo 14 -- i.e., four hours from now.

[PKBasu]

[Q2] 3-Sumit Nagal (IND,139) d. Maxime Janvier (FRA,219) 62 61

Easy first-set taken by Sumit 6-2. Onto the second set now.
Janvier down 15-40 in 1st game, 2nd set. Saves both BPs. Deuce. Ad-out. Game. Early break!! 1-0
Sumit has been serving very well, with a 1st serve percentage of 77 for the match, and one ace (to zero for his opponent).
But from 30-0 in the second game, Sumit is taken to Deuce. Ad-in. Deuce. Ad-in, Game. 2-0.
30-all, 30-40 (BP for Sumit). Deuce. Ad-out, Game! 2nd break. 3-0
My scoreboard froze for awhile, but Sumit has held, and broken again, so it is 5-0!
40-0. Janvier saves 3 MPs. Deuce. Ad-out. Sumit is broken. 5-1
0-15, 15-30, 15-40 (MP #4), Match! Over in just an hour and 17 minutes.

The India #1 is through to another ATP main draw on clay.

[PKBasu]

In R1 of the main draw, Sumit will play one among the winners of the following 3 matches: Broady (up a set now) vs Rodionov, Stebe vs Huesler, and Kovalik vs Viola. Kovalik and Stebe are the only ones ranked (slightly) higher than Sumit.