NEW DELHI:
Sumit Nagal
, India's top-ranked tennis player, suffered a disappointing defeat against Italy's
Luciano Darderi
in the final of the
Perugia Challenger
on Sunday.
According to PTI, the match, which lasted just over an hour, saw Nagal struggle to find his rhythm, ultimately succumbing to a 1-6, 2-6 loss.
Despite his recent success, including a career-high ranking of 77 and a third final appearance this year, the 26-year-old was unable to match the performance of his Italian opponent, who is currently ranked 41 in the world.
Nagal had previously secured his place in the final with a hard-fought victory over Spain's
Bernabe Zapata Miralles
, a former world No. 37, winning 7-6 (7-2), 1-6, 6-2.
Earlier this year, Nagal had claimed the title at the Chennai Challenger, which followed his historic second-round appearance at the
Australian Open
.
However, his performance in the Perugia Challenger final fell short of expectations, as he failed to secure his third title of the season.
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