Sumit Nagal exits US Open after straight-sets loss to Tallon Griekspoor

NEW DELHI: India's Sumit Nagal suffered a disappointing exit from the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, after losing in straight sets to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in the first round on Monday night. Nagal, who struggled with his first serve, winning only 61 percent of those points, was defeated 1-6, 3-6, 6-7(8) by Griekspoor, who impressively won 87 percent of his first serve points during the two hour and 20-minute match.Throughout the encounter, Nagal managed to break his opponent's serve twice, while the Dutchman capitalized on six out of his 11 breakpoint opportunities. The 27-year-old from Jhajjar, India, took a considerable amount of time to find his rhythm, committing numerous unforced errors along the way. Griekspoor frequently caught Nagal off guard, securing easy winners by exploiting the Indian's positioning on the court.The match was briefly interrupted by light rain in the second set when Nagal was trailing 3-5, but he put up a better fight after the resumption of play. Despite his singles loss, Nagal still has a chance to make an impact at the US Open as he is also participating in the men's doubles event.In the men's doubles category, India will be represented by Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji, and Sumit Nagal, each partnering with different players.