Sumit Nagal storms into 2nd round

New York : Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal scripted history by becoming the first Indian since 2013 to enter the second round of the US Open, while Andy Murray made a spectacular return to the grand slam singles stage with a gruelling five-set victory in the first round.

Nagal stormed into the second round of the Grand Slam by defeating US' Bradley Klahn 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday. With this the 23-year-old became the first Indian to win a singles main draw match at a Grand Slam in the last seven years.

Nagal maintained a win percentage of 80 per cent on his first serves in the first set during which the experienced American made 15 unforced errors.

The Indian continued to dominate and clinched the second set 6-3 but was broken at a crucial juncture in the 3rd set after which Klahn held his serve and forced a 4th set.

Nagal gathered his focus back and clinched an early break. There was no looking back from thereon as the Indian youngster wrapped the first-round match in 2 hours and 12 minutes.

Andy Murray secured a brilliant 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 come-from-behind victory in a 4 hour and 39 min encounter against 49th-ranked Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka, in his first singles Grand Slam match in 18 months following an injury and the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scot will now play 15th seed Canadian Felix Auger-Allassime in the second round. His comeback appeared to be heading for disaster when he went 1-3 down in the third set, appearing all-but-certain to be heading for an embarrassing straight-sets exit.

However, showing the grit and determination that led him to three Grand Slam wins during his peak, Murray hauled himself into a 5-4 lead before taking the set on a tie-break. By then, Murray was playing more aggressively, forcing Nishioka on back foot and to err of his own.

The first four games of set four went to serve until a Murray double fault put him a break down. Murray immediately broke back though, a delicate back-handed lob from deep making the score 3-3, before breaking again for game, set, match.