India’s tennis campaign at the Paris Olympics ended on the first day as Sumit Nagal and the men’s doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji were eliminated after losing their opening matches to French opponents on Sunday. Nagal was the first to compete, but his solid baseline game was not enough against Corentin Moutet, who claimed a stylish three-set victory. In his second Olympic appearance, Nagal recovered from losing the first set but eventually lost 2-6, 6-4, 5-7 in two hours and 28 minutes at a packed Court 7 at Roland Garros.
In the Tokyo Games, Nagal had been defeated in the second round by Russian Daniil Medvedev, but he couldn’t capitalize on a manageable start today. Despite leading 2-0 in the decider with an early break, he allowed Moutet to make a comeback and secure the win.
Later, Bopanna and Balaji fought hard but lost 5-7, 2-6 against Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Gael Monfils, who replaced the injured Fabien Reboul in the home team at the last minute.
India has won only one Olympic medal in tennis, with Leander Paes claiming bronze in the 1996 Atlanta Games. Monfils’ powerful hitting, supported by a partisan crowd, proved decisive for the French team.
This match might have been Bopanna’s last appearance in a multi-sport event, as the 44-year-old has announced his retirement from Davis Cup. The match featured intense baseline rallies, with the French strategy of engaging Bopanna in long rallies taking Balaji out of contention for quick finishes at the net.
The French team broke serve first when Bopanna faced a 0-40 deficit in game six, resulting in an unforced error. Although Bopanna and Balaji broke back on Roger-Vasselin’s serve, Balaji struggled with nerves while serving to stay in the set at 5-6, ultimately committing a double fault to end the set.
Balaji’s serve faltered in the second set, while Bopanna struggled against the French players’ powerful strokes, leading to the Indian team’s unforced error to conclude the match.
The encounter between Nagal and Moutet was a battle of attrition, with three of their last four meetings going to three sets. Nagal had previously defeated Moutet in April at the Grand Prix Hassan in Marrakech, Morocco. Moutet, utilizing underarm serves, drop shots, forehand slices, and backhand slices, effectively unsettled Nagal.
Nagal’s start was shaky, with the crowd behind Moutet, leading to unforced errors and a break point. Despite a good response, Nagal’s unforced errors and Moutet’s crowd support led to a 2-4 deficit. Nagal managed to break back, with the crowd chanting to boost him, and eventually leveled the match by breaking Moutet in game eight.
Nagal had a chance to win in the decider after leading 2-0 but found himself down 0-40. Although he saved the first breakpoint, a drive volley error put the set back on serve. Serving at 5-5, Nagal’s forehand errors and Moutet’s passing winner sealed his fate.
Nagal will next face either Australian world number six Alex de Minaur or Germany’s Jan-Lenard Struff.
