Sumit Nagal’s Auckland Open campaign came to an early end despite taking the lead, as he fell to 20-year-old Alex Michelsen 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-2 in the first round on Monday.
Nagal displayed resilience in the opening set, saving six set points before eventually securing it. However, Michelsen ranked 41 in the world, staged an impressive comeback to level the match.
The third set belonged entirely to the American, who unleashed a series of well-placed shots, earning even Nagal’s admiration on several occasions. Although the Indian managed to pull back a game to make it 2-3 in the decider, Michelsen maintained his dominance and closed out the match, denying Nagal, ranked World No. 96, any chance of a comeback.
Nagal had shown promise on Sunday, breezing past France’s Adrian Mannarino in straight sets to secure his spot in the main draw.
The Indian now turns his focus to the Australian Open, starting on January 12, where he will aim to surpass his career-best Grand Slam performance — a second-round finish in the previous edition.
