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Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal completed a stunning upset over 63-ranked Flavio Cobolli to kick off his qualifying campaign with a win at the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday, April 6. Nagal registered a straight sets 6-2, 6-3 win over the Italian to reach the final round of Monte Carlo Masters Qualifiers.
Nagal is now slated to face the winner between the two Argentinians -Facundo Díaz Acosta and Diego Schwartzman in his final qualifier fixture. The 3rd seed Acosta is ranked 55th while Schwartzman is world number 124 and is a wild card participant in the tournament.
Monte Carlo Masters Qualifiers: Nagal beats Cobolli 6-2, 6-3
The top-ranked Indian started this tie with a dominant display of groundstrokes and exceptional court coverage. Nagal showcased his forehand-hitting prowess which kept Cobolli on the defensive and powered him to a 6-2 first-set victory.
Flavio Cobolli stormed back in Set 2 but Nagal found a break in the eighth game and confidently severed out the match confidently to clinch the set at 6-3. With Clay being Nagal's court of choice, the World Number 95 will hope to clinch the final qualifier and make his debut at the Monte Carlo Masters.
This victory over Flavio Cobolli also marks another chapter of his dream 2024 campaign which saw Nagal making it to the main draw of the Australian Open in January. The Indian then took out Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan before bowing out in the second round. He then won the Chennai Open before playing two more Challenger competitions and qualifying for the Dubai Championship (ATP 500) and two ATP 1000 Masters - Indian Wells and Miami.
