Nagal bounced back strongly after losing the first set to reach the quarter-finals of the AO Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off
His serve and footwork significantly improved in the second set, helping him dominate the rest of the match
With this win, Nagal moves a step closer to earning a wildcard into the 2026 Australian Open main draw
Sumit Nagal Moves Into Australian Open Asia-Pacific Play-off Quarter-Finals
Sumit Nagal staged a comeback to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off, overcoming Minghui Zhang after dropping the first set
Summary
India's top singles player Sumit Nagal advanced to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off after recovering from a first-set lapse against China's Minghui Zhang on Tuesday.
Nagal, seeded sixth, recovered from a slow start, having lost the opening set, to dominate the next two and secure a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 win.
The Chengdu event, which runs from November 24–29 at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, offers the men's and women's singles winners wild card entry into the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open.
The Indian's path had been clouded earlier by visa uncertainty; his initial application to enter China was rejected, prompting Nagal to publicly appeal to Chinese officials.
The issue was later resolved, and he was cleared to travel.
Nagal now awaits the winner of the match between top-seeded Bu Yunchaokete and Zijiang Yang in the quarter-finals.
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