Sumit Nagal continues to script a terrific start to the 2024 season with a run to the final in the ATP Challenger in Chennai this week. On Saturday, the No. 2 seed beat spirited 21-year-old Dalibor Svrcina from the Czech Republic to make his first final on Indian soil in seven years.
After his 6-3, 6-4 semi-final win, Nagal sat down with the press to spare his thoughts on the win and the championship match against No. 1 seed Luca Nardi. Nardi and Nagal are both contending to secure a top-100 ranking for the first time in their respective careers.
Excerpts from the press conference:
What are your thoughts ahead of the final and on the opportunity to clinch a title at home?
It’s nice to be playing at home, and if I get to win it’ll be a really nice day for my tennis career, my family. So I have to focus tomorrow and keep the momentum up.
Do you think this is the best you have felt about your tennis in a long time?
Yeah, I think this is the best I’ve been feeling tennis-wise, mentally and tactically. It’s a nice feeling when you’re so close, you have this opportunity to be playing at home and it’s the best I could have asked for.
Is there anything you would do differently for the final than what you have for the previous rounds?
You cannot work differently for a final, it doesn’t work like that. To reach the final you have to play the first round, so you have to focus on the initial rounds as well.
Can you talk about both Nardi and you playing to secure a top-100 ranking for the first time?
Yeah, it’s a very different circumstance right now. Nardi and I will both be playing for the Top 100 for the first time, and I think that’s going to be a very nice match.
How have Milos and Somdev Devvarman influenced you this week and if you could talk a bit about having them in your entourage?
They’ve been with me for many years now, with Milos I’ve been working since 2018, with Somdev it’s been on and off, but yeah, I respect them a lot and it’ll be really nice to work with them for a longer time.
There were a bunch of controversial ball calls in the match that visibly upset both you and Svrcina. Could you talk about those moments and how you managed to immediately reset?
It’s tough when you play so many matches throughout the year, the calls sometimes go against you. When there’s no Hawkeye, everyone makes mistakes, you will have calls that go for you or against you so it’s pretty normal in tennis. But it’s not just in tennis it’s in every sport. So these things are a part of the sport, sometimes the luck is with you and sometimes it isn’t.
What are the tournaments you are going to be playing in next?
I’m going to be playing in Bangalore (12 – 18 February, 2024) and Pune (19 – 25 February, 2024), not in Delhi (26 February – 3 March, 2024).