CHENNAI: Three years ago, when Sumit Nagal first served notice of his talent, a few on Twitter started a new trend. #NadalWithaG. The hashtag may continue to remain nothing more than wordplay but on Monday night, Nagal tried his damnedest to bring it to life. Against Roger Federer the 22-year-old showed no nerves.
Before the match, he had told this daily how he intended to enjoy the situation rather than be fazed by the environment. True to his words, Nagal punished some loose play by Federer, converting two of the four breakpoints to win the opening stanza 6-4. The 20-time Slam winner, who last lost in the first round of Slam in 2003 (French Open), wasn’t exactly under the cosh but he had to tighten his game.
Nineteen unforced errors to Nagal’s nine meant Federer couldn’t afford more slip-ups. The Haryana-born lad may be slightly built but he has a big heart and bigger shots from the baseline. The World No 190 used those shots to build a solid foundation. He had a gameplan.
Unknowingly, he started living too much in the future in the next three sets. “In the second and third sets, my energy levels went down. I started thinking too much. Then the first serve percentage went down,” he said after the match. Going forward, he hopes to learn a lot from this match. “The thoughts come (beating Federer), you know. When I won the first set, instead of focussing on what I did well in during it. I started thinking too much about things. But it’s an experience and all of us learn from mistakes.”
With not many points to defend between now and end of the season, Nagal is of the belief that he has a chance of finishing inside the top 100. “I want to do it this year. That’s why I have clay court challengers lined up for the rest of the year. That’s what I am chasing.” India Davis Cup captain, Mahesh Bhupathi, was pleased with how Nagal handled himself. “He showed incredible composure against the greatest player in the world and held his own,” he told this daily. “I think both he and his coaching team should be very proud of the improvements they have made this year.” When asked if the level the World No 190 had shown this year came as a surprise, he replied in the negative. “Not really. This is what’s expected of him and he is getting better,” Bhupathi, who is credited with finding Nagal, added.
Federer, when asked about Nagal’s ceiling, said he could go on to have a ‘solid career’. “I think he knows what he can bring. That’s why I think he’s going to have a very solid career. But, of course, it’s not the game that comes out with the biggest surprises. It’s really consistent. I think he did it very well tonight,” the World No 3 said.