Chennai Challenger: Nagal rallies to enter quarter-finals

Sumit Nagal staged a grand recovery to get the better of Jason Jung of Chinese Taipei 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 and book his place in the quarter-finals of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger in Chennai on Thursday.

Nagal, who came through the qualifying rounds, was unable to break the service of his 33-year old Taipei opponent, a lucky loser, in the opening set.

Jung won a lot of points on his serve and never faced a break point while capturing the first set 6-3.

The 25-year-old Indian, who has kept the Indian challenge alive in the singles event, raised his level of play later and began to return well. He broke serve thrice in the second set while losing his own once to level the match.

In the third set, it was Nagal all the way as he landed 75 per cent of his first serves and returned superbly to win the decider without dropping a game.

Nagal, ranked 506 in the ATP rankings, will take on Great Britain's Jay Clarke (313) in the quarter-finals.

Clarke defeated eighth-seed Dimitar Kuzmanov 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the next round.

Meanwhile, No. 2 seed James Duckworth beat Serbia's Hamad Medjedovic 6-2, 7-6(3) to book his spot in the last eight.

He was joined in the quarter-finals by compatriot Max Purcell, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Petr Nouza of the Czech Republic.

In doubles, the top-seeded Indian duo of Jeevan Neduncheziyan and N Sriram Balaji beat compatriots Nagal and Sasikumar Mukund 7-6(5), 6-0 to sail into the semi-finals.

Results:

Men's singles (pre-quarter-finals): Sumit Nagal (India) beat Jason Jung (Chinese Taipei) 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; James Duckworth (Australia) beat Hamad Medjedovic (Serbia) 6-2, 7-6(3); Max Purcell beat Petr Nouza 7-5, 6-3; Jay Clarke beat Dimitar Kuzmanov 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles (quarter-finals): Jeevan Neduncheziyan and N Sriram Balaji beat Sumit Nagal and Sasikumar Mukund 7-6(5), 6-0; Jay Clarke and Arjun Khade beat Ji Sung Nam and Min Kyu Song 1-6, 7-6, 10-8; Petr Nouza and Andrew Paulson beat Francesco Maestrelli and Luca Nardi 6-3, 6-4; Sebastian Ofner and Nino Serdarusic beat Ryan Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-7, 10-4.