Sumit Nagal secured a spot in the main draw of the Monte Carlo Masters after a hard-fought victory over World No.55 Facundo Diaz Acosta in the final round of qualifiers on Sunday. Nagal clinched the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, showcasing his resilience on the clay courts.

In his earlier qualifier match, Nagal defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in straight sets with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-3. This achievement marks Nagal as the first Indian player in 42 years to progress to the main draw of this prestigious clay-court event, following the footsteps of Ramesh Krishnan, who achieved the feat in 1982.

Facing a tough challenge against Acosta, Nagal displayed remarkable composure despite trailing 2-5 in the first set. He rallied back with five consecutive games to claim the lead in the match. Despite losing the second set, Nagal regrouped in the decider, reserving his best for the last to secure victory.

Sumit Nagal has had an impressive run this year, beginning with his notable win over Alexander Bublik in the Australian Open in January. Subsequently, he triumphed at the Chennai Open, breaking into the top-100 in the ATP rankings. Earlier this week, Nagal achieved his career-best ranking of 95.

On Wednesday, Nagal had put up a spirited effort before bowing out in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals of the Marrakech Open. The Indian faced a tough challenge against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, ultimately losing 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. Despite starting strongly, Nagal couldn't maintain the momentum against the 61st-ranked Italian, who demonstrated his prowess on clay courts.

Other Indians at Monte Carlo Masters

In addition to Sumit Nagal, the world's number one doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden, seeded at the top, will also be vying for success at the marquee clay tournament.

The duo had a blistering start to the year, as it clinched the men's doubles title at the Australian Open.

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