India’s top singles player, Sumit Nagal, displayed tremendous grit but ultimately fell short in a hard-fought two-hour and 40-minute contest against the USA’s Alex Michelsen, losing 7-6 (8), 4-6, 2-6. Nagal started strong, edging out the opening set in a nail-biting tie-break, showcasing his resilience under pressure. He saved 70% of the break points he faced and remained competitive on return, winning 58% of points on Michelsen’s second serve.

However, as the match progressed, Michelsen raised his game, relying on a powerful serve and improved consistency. The American’s six aces and a dominant first-serve performance proved crucial in shifting the momentum.

Nagal, meanwhile, struggled on his second serve, winning just 33% of those points, which allowed Michelsen to take control in the latter stages. Despite Nagal’s valiant efforts, Michelsen capitalised on these opportunities to secure a place in the pre-quarterfinals.

Balaji and Reyes-Varela down Bopanna-Barrientos

The Indo-Mexican duo of N. Sriram Balaji and Miguel ngel Reyes-Varela pulled off a stunning comeback to defeat Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolás Barrientos 4-6, 6-2, 10-7 in a thrilling first-round encounter.

Bopanna, who recently teamed up with Barrientos following the end of his two-year partnership with Australia’s Matthew Ebden, displayed an impressive first-serve performance. The pair boasted an 81% first-serve accuracy, winning 76% of those points, which gave them an early edge and secured the opening set.

However, Balaji and Reyes-Varela regrouped in the second set, capitalizing on a dip in their opponents’ serve and return game. Their aggressive strategy paid dividends as they secured multiple breaks of serve to take the set convincingly and force a match tiebreak.

In the decider, the unseeded pair held their nerve, displaying excellent composure and teamwork to seal the victory in just over 75 minutes.

Balaji and Reyes-Varela now advance to the round of 16, where they will face the fourth-seeded Finnish-British duo of Harri Heli¶vaara and Henry Patten at the ATP 250 tournament.