Tokyo: Sumit Nagal on Saturday became only the third Indian who won the men’s singles match at the Olympics and the first in 25 years, when he rose past Denis Istomin in three setters, here.
Nagal got better than Istomin 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4 in two hours and 34 minutes in court 10 at the Ariah tennis center to arrange the second round with number two Danil Medvedev.
Zeeshan Ali was the first Indian who won a single match in the 1988 Seoul game when he beat Victo Caballero from Paraguay.
After that, the legendary Leander Paes won the Historic Men’s Singles Bronze in the 1996 Atlanta game, beat Fernando to Meigen Brazil.
There is no Indian who can win a single match after Paes’s heroic achievements even when Somdev Devvarman and Vishnu Vardhan competed in the 2012 match in London but did not make it through the first round obstacle.
23-year-old nagal, who did not come to the match in his best form, had a chance to rest in the sixth match of the opening set but could not be converted.
However, Indians did not waste the opportunity when Istomin served to stay on the set.
The initial break pushed Nagal ahead 2-0 in the second set he ran to Tin 4-1 but maybe the nerves get better than him when he served the match, up 5-3, and dropped his service.
Istomine experienced imposes decider with the prevailing in the tie-breaker.
The last set is serving until Nagal gets a decisive break.
Nagal now faces Herculean’s assignment when he faces Australian runner-up, Medvedev, who defeated Alexajhstan Alexander Bubilk 6-4 7-6 (8).