The world No 190 beat 210th ranked Joao Menezes of Brazil 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the final qualifying round. He started on the backfoot, dropping a set for the first time in three matches. At one point he was trailing 5-7, 1-4 but turned things around to win nine straight games and take control of the match.
Nagal converted five of 11 break points he had and lost serve only three times out of six.
The Brazilian had beaten him earlier this year at the Samarkhand Challenger in May as well as at an ITF event in Spain last year. Both matches went to three sets and Nagal was a seeded player in both the losses.
The former junior Wimbledon doubles champion was in the third round of Grand Slam qualifying for the first time. His breakthrough win means there will be two Indians in the men’s singles main draw at a Grand Slam after over 20 years. The last time there were two Indian men was the 1998 Wimbledon when Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi played.
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