Embarking on his journey to qualify for the men’s singles main draw of the Australian Open 2024, Sumit Nagal demonstrated an impressive start by securing a victory over France’s Geoffrey Blancaneaux in the first round of the qualifiers on Wednesday, January 10. Meanwhile, Ankita Raina initiated her pursuit of securing a spot in the main draw of her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
In the opening set, Nagal seized control by securing a break of serve and establishing a commanding 4-1 lead. Blancaneaux struggled to regain the break, allowing the Indian star to comfortably take the first set.
The second set proved to be a closely contested battle, with Blancaneaux resilient and refusing to concede. As the set reached a 5-5 deadlock, it seemed destined for a tie-breaker. However, Nagal decisively broke Blancaneaux’s serve, sealing his victory in the match.
Nagal’s prowess was evident in his first serves, winning an impressive 84 percent of points from them. Blancaneaux, on the other hand, faced challenges with 32 unforced errors compared to Nagal’s 20. Despite showcasing the fastest serve of 201 km/h and delivering 2 aces, Blancaneaux couldn’t exert enough pressure on his opponent.
Facing Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Ankita secured a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (10-4) after two hours and 49 minutes. Ankita, who recently tied the knot, mentioned that her previous encounter with Maneiro allowed her to assess her opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, contributing to her strategic approach in the match.
