New Delhi, February 17 India's top-ranked singles tennis player, Sumit Nagal, began his campaign with a straight-game victory over Spain's David Jorda Sanchis at the Delhi Open here on Tuesday.
However, the day also witnessed a major upset, as top seed Dane Sweeny of Australia was eliminated in the opening round by Kazakhstan's Beibit Zhukayev.
Nagal, ranked No. 297 in the world, defeated Sanchis 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 27 minutes to reach the second round.
Nagal broke Sanchis in the opening game of the first set and maintained his advantage to win it 6-3.
The second set proved more competitive, with both players holding serve until Nagal secured the crucial break in the 11th game and then won the match.
Nagal's win was the only positive result for the Indian contingent, with 18-year-old Manas Dhamne, qualifier Manish Sureshkumar, and wildcard entrant Digvijay Singh all losing in the opening rounds.
Kazakhstan's Zhukayev, ranked No. 292 in the world, produced the biggest upset of the tournament, as the 25-year-old came from a set down to defeat top seed and World No. 134 Sweeny 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2.
The Australian had entered the tournament after a strong start to the 2026 season, having reached the second round of the Australian Open and winning an ATP Challenger 75 title in Brisbane.
Second seed Rei Sakamoto progressed to the round of 16 after defeating Chennai Open champion Frederico Ferreira Silva 6-2, 6-2 in the first round.
Great Britain's Jay Clarke, the third seed, also advanced with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-4 win over Polish qualifier Maks Kasnikowski.
