Nagal blown away by 26th seed Machac in 1st round

At one point in the second set against Sumit Nagal on Sunday, Tomas Machac was attacking the Indian's first serves like second serves.

- HT Correspondent

MUMBAI: A quick jump and a step inside, getting closer to the baseline, and then ripping a return winner. First, off the forehand. Then off the backhand.

On the fast hard courts of Melbourne, one quality player pouncing on the unthreatening serves of the other usually signals a one-sided affair. And for a large part of Nagal's first round encounter at the Australian Open, it indeed was.

In a match that lasted two hours and five minutes at the 1573 Arena in Melbourne Park on Sunday, Nagal lost 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 against 26th seed Machac of the Czech Republic. It also ended India's singles challenge at the Australian Open.