Sumit Nagal created history, becoming the first Indian to record a main-draw win at Monte Carlo Masters, beating Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the first round on Monday. The unseeded 93rd-ranked Nagal, who is only the third Indian to feature in the main draw in Monte Carlo after Vijay Amritraj (1977) and Ramesh Krishnan (1982), came from a set down to beat World No. 38 Arnaldi 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Nagal is also the first Indian to win an ATP Masters 1000 match on clay since the series began in 1990. The Indian will next face seventh-seeded Dane and last year’s runner-up Holger Rune.
Arnaldi broke Nagal to go 4-2 up in the opening set but the Indian broke back immediately. However, serving to stay in the set at 5-6, Nagal went down 15-40. He saved one break point the 23-year-old Italian converted the second one with a crosscourt winner to bag the first set.
