India journeyman Sumit Nagal has won his second-ever Grand Slam match, knocking out 31st seed Alexander Bublik in the Australian Open first round on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old qualifier dismissed the Kazakh 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) to set up a second round match with either Mackenzie McDonald or Juncheng Shang.
Nagal's only victory at a major was at US Open 2020 against Bradley Klahn before he was eliminated in the next round by eventual champion Dominic Thiem.
Bublik came into the match as red-hot favourite after showing good form in reaching the semi-finals of the Adelaide International, where he lost to runner-up Jack Draper.
However, Nagal is in career-best form, defeating Alex Molcan in the last round of qualifying to reach the Australian Open main draw.
After trading breaks in the first two games, Nagal broke Bublik in his next two service games to get a lead which he wouldn't relinquish in the first set, claiming it 6-4.
It didn't get much better for the Kazakh in the second set, handing Nagal a break in the opening game with a double fault before only winning two games as the Indian took it out 6-2.
Nagal continued to be on top in the third set but nerves got the better of him as he failed to serve out the match at 5-4.
However, Nagal managed to force a tiebreaker where he ran away with the match - much like the first two sets.
How to watch Sumit Nagal in the Australian Open from India?
Sumit Nagal's first round match took place Tuesday.
His second round match is likely to be on Thursday.
The Sony Sports Network has acquired the rights to broadcast the Australian Open in India. The matches can be watched on TV, or on the Sony Liv app/website.
| Date | Time | Match | Tournament | TV | Live Stream |
| January 16, 2024 | 8:50 am IST | Sumit Nagal vs Alexander Bublik | Australian Open 2024 - First Round | Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 5, Sony Ten 1 HD, Sony Ten 5 HD | Sony Liv app/website |
