Bengaluru, Feb. 7 -- India's Davis Cup 2026 campaign began on a challenging note as Sumit Nagal went down fighting against Netherlands' Guy den Ouden in the opening singles match of the first-round tie at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium on Saturday.
Den Ouden secured a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 victory, giving the Netherlands a crucial 1-0 lead, but the contest was far more nuanced than the scoreline suggests.
Nagal, India's top-ranked singles player, struggled to find his rhythm in the opening set. Den Ouden came out with aggressive intent, dictating play from the baseline, varying his spins, and consistently hitting deep, precise shots that forced errors from the Indian.
Breaking serve repeatedly, the Dutch player raced through the first set 6-0, pu...