Sumit Nagal Bows Out of Geneva Open in First Round

India's top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal's hopes of a deep run at the Geneva Open were dashed in the first round as he succumbed to a fighting defeat against Argentina's Sebastian Baez. The world no. 94 went down 6-7 (7) 3-6 to the Argentine, a clay court specialist, in a match that lasted one hour and 52 minutes.

Nagal started the match brightly, taking an early 4-1 lead over Baez and even earning a set point. However, the world no. 19 Baez, who has already won two titles on clay this season, showcased his class to force a tiebreaker, thanks to his exceptional first serve performance.

In the second set, Baez continued to rely on his superb first serve, wrapping up the proceedings in just 38 minutes. Nagal, who has qualified for the upcoming French Open, expressed his disappointment on Twitter after the loss: "Gutted with the loss today. But good preparation ahead of Roland Garros. Paris next."

Despite the setback, Nagal's performance in Geneva provides valuable preparation for the French Open, where he will be aiming to make a strong showing. The Indian ace has been in impressive form this season, reaching the semifinals of the ATP Challenger event in Bengaluru and the quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger event in Ostrava.

Baez, on the other hand, continues his impressive run on clay this season. The Argentine has won two ATP Challenger titles on the surface and reached the semifinals of the ATP 250 event in Cordoba. He will be looking to carry his momentum into the French Open, where he will be aiming to make a deep run.

Tags: #SumitNagal, #SebastianBaez, #GenevaOpen, #FrenchOpen, #Tennis