Hangzhou Asian Games: Sumit Nagal progresses to quarterfinals

NEW DELHI: Sumit Nagal, known for his counter-punching style, effectively neutralised the challenge posed by the big-serving Beibit Zhukayev through sheer determination. Nagal's superior point control led him to a thrilling 7-6 (9), 6-4 victory in the men's singles third round at the Asian Games on Tuesday.
In the women's singles event, Ankita Raina displayed remarkable composure as she secured a straightforward 6-1, 6-2 victory against her opponent from Hong Kong in the third round.
Both Nagal and Raina's entry into the quarterfinals brings them one step closer to earning singles medals at the Games, with the semifinalists guaranteed to receive bronze medals in the tennis event.

Unfortunately, the singles journey for Ramkumar Ramanathan and Rutuja Bhosale came to an end at the Asian Games.
Nagal's exceptional court movement and his ability to retrieve shots were a true spectacle, as he repeatedly thwarted Zhukayev's drop shot attempts and turned them into winners.
Zhukayev was sending down powerful serves and his ground strokes too packed a lot of power were but Nagal is not someone who would feel threatened rather he kept the ball in play since he always had an advantage if the points were long.
After saving two set points, Nagal pocketed the opening set by sending down a widish backhand which Zhukayev failed to return, making a volley error while going for a winner.
A break in the fourth game of the second set handed Nagal early advantage as he led 4-1. In the long-drawn seventh game, Nagal saved two breakpoints but the Kazakh finally got the break with a forehand winner down the line.
The 26-year-old shut the door on the Kazakh with another break in game 10 when Zhukayev buried a backhand on net on second match point.
Raina, the top Indian woman singles player at 198, converted all three breakpoints she got in the one hour 34-minute contest and saved two of the three breakpoints she faced against her 354th-ranked rival.
She will now fight it out with Japan's Haruka Kaji (ranked 213) for a place in the semifinals.
Ranked 336, Bhosale was up against higher-ranked Alexandra Eala (190) from Philippines and went down fighting 6-7 (5) 2-6 in one hour and 51 minutes.
In the men's singles, Ramkumar took the court against world number 78 Yosuke Watanuki and it was always going to be a tough contest for the Indian, who has been terribly out of form this season.
To his credit, Ramkumar stretched his superior Japanese rival, who had to battle hard for his 7-5 6-7 (3) 7-5 win in two hours and 40 minute match.
Both Ramkumar and Bhosale are still alive in the doubles competitions.
However, Bhosale and her partner Karman Kaur Thandi bowed out of the women's doubles after a 5-7, 2-6 defeat against Thailand's Anchisa Chanta and Punnin Kovatitukted in 1 hour and 59 minutes.
(With PTI Inputs)