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[3] Roger Federer -03- (SUI) def [Q] Sumit Nagal -190- (IND)
Match recap from Arthur Ashe Stadium announcer Andy Taylor...
From 2004 to 2008, Roger Federer was untouchable in New York. He won 35 consecutive matches, earned 5 titles, and simply owned the US Open. He was also in his mid-20’s.
It was about this time an 8-year-old Sumit Nagal took Mahesh Bhupathi by the hand and asked the Indian tennis legend to check-out his game. Without that singular burst of adolescent confidence from Sumit, tonight may never have happened.
While Roger was uncharacteristically erratic in the first set, Nagal deserves mountains of credit for elevating his clay-centric game to take the opening set from one of the greatest to ever hold a racquet. Tonight was a tremendous accomplishment for Nagal, and an undeniable confidence boost.
It was a big night for Roger, too – who played injured last year and fell in the 4th-Round to John Millman. With Monday night’s win over Nagal, Roger qualified for the ATP Finals for the 17th time. No other player has reached that many year-end championships. He’s won the season finale a record six times. A victory in November would extend that record to seven.
NEXT: Damir Dzumhur -99- (BIH) vs [3] Roger Federer -03- (SUI)
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Round-1 Biography | [3] Roger Federer -03- (SUI)
He is arguably the greatest player in the history of the game. With 6 titles at the Australian Open, 1 Roland Garros victory, 8 Wimbledon crowns and 5 titles here in 2004, 05, 06, 07 and 08 – he owns a record 20 career Majors and the Career Grand Slam. He’s an Olympic Gold Medalist, a Davis Cup Champion, is a 2-time Laver Cup Champion with Team Europe, and has captured the year-end ATP Finals a record 6-times. This year, he’s won 3-titles, reached 5-Finals, and now owns a remarkable 102 career Singles titles in all. Ranked World #1 for a record 310 weeks, no other man has contested more Major Finals – last month’s thrilling, deciding-set championship match at Wimbledon was his 31st Grand Slam Final. From Basel, Switzerland – please welcome 7-time Finalist and 5-time US Open Champion, Roger Federer.
▲ R1: def [Q] Sumit Nagal -190- (IND) 46 61 62 64
Round-1 Biography | [Q] Sumit Nagal -190- (IND)
On Friday, this 22-year-old became the youngest man from India to qualify for the main draw at a Grand Slam in 25-years. Before this year’s Open, he’d never won a single qualifying match at the Majors. But last week, he won his first two in straight-sets, then – down a set and a break in the final round of qualifying – he launched a tremendous comeback to achieve tonight’s career-first. For the past 3-months, he’s been on-fire – reaching 5 ATP Challenger Tour Semifinals, qualifying for his first Tour-level event in Hamburg, and comes into tonight’s 1st-Round match with a career-high ranking inside the ATP’s top-200. Making his Arthur Ashe Stadium debut, from New Delhi, India – please welcome, Sumit Nagal.
▲ Q3: def Joao Menezes -210- (BRA) 57 64 63 | Was down a set and a break to the Pan-Am Games Gold Medalist
▲ Q2: def Peter Polansky -192- (CAN) 75 76(0)
▲ Q1: def [26] Tatsuma Ito -133- (JPN) 76(6) 62
Head to Head
This was the first meeting between these two players
