New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS): Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal showered praise on Roger Federer and called the Swiss legend a magican, adding that the 'most annoying' part of facing the great was his unpredictable style of play.

The 25-year-old said that Federer had too many tricks up his sleeve and it was hard to predict which shot he was going to play.

"Federer you can call a magician. You don't know what is coming. That is one of the most annoying parts to play against him that you have no clue. Is this guy going to hit a second serve and come to the net? Is he going for a short cross-court backhand or trying to make you (come) in?" Nagal told Sportskeeda on the sidelines of the ATP 250 Maharashtra Open in Pune.

"He has too many options, you know. You realize it, but in the end, you also need to know what you are capable of and not capable of," he added.

In August 2019, Nagal and Federer locked horns in the first round of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Nagal won the first set and threw up a massive surprise, but Federer came back to win the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Federer was the No.3 in the men's draw back then.

"To be honest, I don't like it when people say it (a lot), you know. In the end, I lost the match. If I had beaten (Federer) it's a different story. A loss is a loss. On our ATP website, it doesn't say, 'Sumit Nagal won the first set, but lost the 4th set. Wow, pity him'," the Indian said.