Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal fought valiantly but ultimately bowed out in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals at the Marrakech Open on Wednesday.
Despite a strong start, the 95th-ranked Nagal couldn't sustain his momentum and succumbed to a 6-1, 3-6, 4-6 defeat against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego, who showcased his skill and experience on the clay courts.
Nagal had made waves earlier by securing a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open in January, where he made history as the first Indian to defeat a seeded player, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, before exiting in the second round against China's Shang Juncheng.
Following his Australian Open campaign, Nagal clinched victory at the Chennai Open but faced mixed results in subsequent tournaments, including two Challenger competitions, participation in the Dubai Championship (ATP 500), and appearances at two ATP 1000 Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami.
Despite his achievements, Nagal has struggled to replicate his success, with a lone semi-final appearance at the Bengaluru Challenger since his triumph in Chennai. Nevertheless, his current ranking of 95 marks a career high for the talented Indian player.
In other Marrakech Open action involving Indian players, the duo of Yuki Bhambri and his French partner Albano Olivetti secured a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Bart Stevens of the Netherlands and Petros Tsitsipas of Greece in the pre-quarterfinals.
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