The Indian, ranked 249th in the world, maintained his composure throughout the contest and converted his opportunities to close out the match without being pushed into a deciding set. India’s Sumit Nagal continued his progress in the men’s singles competition at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Uzbekistan’s Sergey Fomin in straight sets to enter the quarterfinals, while Dhakshineswar Suresh’s campaign came to an end after a third-round defeat on Wednesday. Seventh-seeded Nagal produced a controlled display against Fomin, securing a 6-3, 6-2 victory to book his place in the last eight.
Nagal, however, responded strongly and won nine consecutive games to take command of the contest and complete a straight-set victory. Nagal will face a significantly tougher challenge in the quarterfinals when he takes on third seed Wu Yibing of China. Hong initially took control after the restart, winning the first eight points and moving 4-3 ahead. The Indian had earlier lost to Hong in the qualifying competition at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. The Indian lost 3-6, 4-6, bringing his men’s singles campaign to a close.
The Chinese player, ranked 111th in the world, has previously defeated Nagal in their only meeting. He had also endured a difficult Davis Cup outing against South Korea before the Asian Games, suffering defeats against Hyeon Chung and Soonwoo Kwon.
Nagal had entered the third round after overcoming South Korea’s Seongchan Hong 6-4, 6-0 in the second round. Their match had been interrupted by weather on Monday, with Nagal leading 3-2 in the opening set, before play resumed on Tuesday.
