Paris: Sumit Nagal stuck to his strong baseline game but that didn’t seem to be enough against a mercurial Frenchman Corentin Moutet, who knocked out the Indian from the Paris Olympics with a stylish three-set win, here Sunday.
In his second appearance at the Olympic Games, Nagal bounced back after losing the first set but fell 2-6 6-4 5-7 in two hours and 28 minutes at a packed court number seven at Roland Garros.
In the Tokyo Games, Nagal had lost in the second round to Russian Daniil Medvedev but he could not make the most of a manageable opener here.
It has always been a battle of attrition between Nagal and Moutet with three of their last four outings being three-set affairs and it was no different on Sunday.
Nagal had got the better of Moutet in their last meeting in Grand Prix of Hassan in the Moroccan city of Marakkech in April this year.
Nagal didn’t seem to have a plan B but Moutet had a few tricks in his bag to unsettle his rival. He served underarm a number of times and used the drop shots, the forehand slice and the backhand slice very effectively.
The chants of Coco-Coco, Aaale-Aaale and Moutet-Moutet certainly gave the home player the energy required in such a slug-fest.
Nagal had a nervy start with a boisterous crowd behind Moutet. A drop volley error at 30-all put him down by a break point. Another unforced error cost him the opening game.
The French player began with an underarm serve, much to the amusement of the home fans. He, however, ended up serving a double fault. It was an easy hold for the southpaw even as Nagal also bounced back with a hold at love.
Moutet struggled a bit with his first serve but fed Nagal a lot of high balls and attached his backhand more to build on the break.
Nagal had his chances to get the break back in game four but squandered four break points.
He was down by another break point in game five but saved and held when Moutet just missed the line with his return. The crowd favourite again amused the gathered supporters as he crossed over the court to check the spot if the ball landed inside the line.
It was crucial for Nagal to hold serve after falling behind 2-4 but he erred on overhead volley at breakpoint.
Moutet pocketed the opening set when Nagal’a forehand return soared over the baseline.
The second set was not a one-way traffic with Nagal finding his rhythm. The free points were not given.
After playing two deuce points, Moutet again served underarm and this time got the point as Nagal netted the return. A furious Nagal pointed his finger in the sky but the crowd loved the moment.
Nagal finally had his first break of the match when Moutet’a dropped shot crashed into the net.
Before that on the second break point, when he netted the return, Nagal had banged his racquet on the court, letting go the frustration.
However, he gathered himself with the crucial break. The crowd stood and began singing the national anthem to egg on their favourite.
Nagal though consolidated the lead with a hold and levelled the match by breaking his rival in game eight when Moutet netted a volley return.
The French player yet again resorted to giving high balls and drop shots to Nagal to break the momentum and almost succeeded but Nagal too stuck to his guns, avoiding an early break.
He then broke Moutet when he double faulted while facing his fourth break point.
Leading 2-0 in the decider, Nagal had a perfect opportunity to run away with the match but found himself down 0-40. He saved the first breakpoint but a drive volley error from him meant that the the set was back on serve.
Serving at 5-5, Nagal began by netting a forehand and Moutet found a stunning forehand slice passing winner in the run.
Another forehand error put Nagal down by three break points. He lost fourth point in a row when he could not pick up a half volley.
It was not difficult from there for Moutet to close the match.
He will play either Australian world number six Alex di Minaur or Germany’s Jan-Lenard Struff next.
The Indian men’s doubles pair of Rohan Boppanna and N Sriram Balaji will be in action later in the day against Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France in first round.
PTI
