India No.1 Sumit Nagal produced one of his best performances of the season, upsetting second seed Zdenek Kolar in straight sets to storm into the quarter-finals of the ATP Challenger event in Moldova.
Competing as an alternate, Nagal defeated the higher-ranked Czech 6-4, 7-6(4) in the Round of 16, marking his best win of the 2026 season in terms of opponent ranking. Kolar came into the match ranked World No.162, while Nagal is currently placed at ATP 282.
The victory also marks an important milestone for the Indian star, who has now won back-to-back matches for the first time since October 2025. After a difficult start to the season, this run will provide a much-needed confidence boost as he looks to climb back up the rankings.
Nagal showed great composure throughout the contest, especially in the second set where he held his nerve in the tie-breaker to close out the match in straight sets. His aggressive baseline play and consistency under pressure proved decisive against the experienced Czech.
With the win, Nagal advances to his maiden quarter-final of the 2026 season.
Awaiting him in the last eight is 6’6” Greek youngster Stefanos Sakellaridis, currently ranked ATP 197. The quarter-final clash is scheduled for Friday, with Nagal aiming to continue his impressive run in Moldova.