Injured Sumit Nagal Forced to Withdraw in Opening Round at Moselle Open; Balaji Exits

The Moselle Open 2024 in Metz, France, saw an early exit for Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal due to injury. Nagal, ranked 83rd in the ATP rankings, was forced to withdraw from his Round-of-32 match against Frenchman Corentin Moutet while trailing 5-7, 0-4 in the second set. Nagal had started strong, taking a 5-2 lead in the first set, but Moutet made a comeback to win the set 7-5. Nagal’s physical discomfort worsened in the second set, leading to his unfortunate withdrawal.

Sumit Nagal’s Setback

Nagal’s early exit is a significant setback for the Indian player, who had shown promising form earlier in the season. The 27-year-old Indian, who reached the second round of the Australian Open earlier this year, seemed to be in control with a 5-2 lead in the first set after breaking Moutet.

However, momentum shifted dramatically as Nagal lost nine consecutive games, eventually dropping the first set 5-7. In the second set, the Frenchman maintained his dominance, breaking Nagal twice to surge to a 4-0 lead before Nagal pulled out.

In the doubles competition, N. Sriram Balaji and his Argentine partner Guido Andreozzi also faced an early exit. The Indo-Argentine duo won the opening set 7-6 in a tie-break but lost the next two sets 2-6, 7-10 to the Dutch team of Matwe Middlekoop and Jean-Julien Rojer. Balaji and Andreozzi initially took control with their strong serve but couldn’t maintain their momentum.

Balaji and Andreozzi relied on their strong first serve to secure the opening set in a tie-break. However, Middlekoop and Rojer dominated the second set, winning it 6-2. In the deciding set, Middlekoop and Rojer came from behind to claim victory, winning the tie-breaker 10-7 with an impressive return game.

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