Nagal skipped training due to hangover, dropped from Davis Cup
Young tennis player Sumit Nagal has been dropped from India's upcoming Davis Cup tie against New Zealand due to disciplinary issues, All India Tennis Association said. According to AITA, Sumit skipped morning practice due to hangover during India's Davis Cup tie against Korea last July. He had also brought his girlfriend to Delhi during tie against Spain, but sent her back on captain's orders.
Sumit Nagal is an Indian tennis player from Haryana. In 2015, he won the Wimbledon junior doubles title to become the sixth Indian player to do so. The 19-year old was hand-picked by Mahesh Bhupathi for his tennis academy and is currently ranked 358th in the singles format. He is coached by Argentine Mariano Delfino.
Sumit Nagal was selected as a reserve player for India's Davis Cup team last year against Korean team. In September 2016, he made his debut against Spain but went down to Marc Lopez 3-6, 6-1, 3-6.
When asked why he was removed now when the issue happened last July, the AITA source said, "When Nagal was countered he denied the charge. We believed him, but things got worse and more stories surfaced, then we had to take a firm stand."
Former Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman wrote an open letter to the AITA in support of Sumit Nagal. He questioned AITA's intention for making public allegations against a young player who can become India's future in tennis. Devvarman has also written that the association, along with senior players and the captain should have talked with Nagal and solved the problem.
