Ace Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal fought hard before crashing out in the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals of the Marrakech Open here on Wednesday. The 95th-ranked Indian lost 6-1, 3-6, 4-6 to Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, failing to hold on to the momentum despite starting the tie on a resounding note. 

The 61st-ranked Italian displayed his class and experience on clay courts to good use. Nagal had grabbed the headlines after making it to the main draw of the Australian Open in January, where he became the first Indian to beat a seeded player Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan before losing against Shang Juncheng of China in the second round.