The remarkable European sojourn continued for India's Sumit Nagal, who secured a place in the final of the Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Perugia, a Challenger tournament under way in Italy. Fifth-seed Nagal overcame a dogged adversary in Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles in three exquisitely long sets in the semifinals Sunday.
Nagal sealed the victory 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-2 to make this his ninth win in 11 days of action in the season. The final appearance has come after he triumphed at the Heilbronn Challenger in Germany in what has been this sensational run on the Challenger circuit for him last week.
The match started with Nagal taking charge by breaking Zapata Miralles' serve in the first set to lead 2-0, but then Zapata Miralles bristled with his aggressive tennis to break Nagal back in a crucial fifth game that contained six deuces and took the lead 3-2, but Nagal did not let his nerves get away and clinched the first set 7-6 in a tiebreak.
In the second set, then, Zapata Miralles came out strongly to enforce dominance on Vilaro, with breaks in the 5th and 6th games, as he took the set comfortably 6-1, squaring the match.
The Indian star regrouped in the deciding third set, breaking Zapata Miralles' serve early on. But though Zapata Miralles broke right back, Nagal turned the tables again with breaks for 4-1 and 6-2 in the fourth and sixth games to seal the set and match after two hours and 39 minutes of intensity.
Nagal's gritty display has earned him a place in the final of Perugia Challenger to give him a stand on the big stage in the unforgiving world of Challenger tennis.
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