The first day of the Gonet Geneva Open, played to a sold-out crowd, belonged to the Swiss. Kilian Feldbausch (ATP 514) and Remy Bartola (ATP 297) defied many predictions. Both the Geneva native and the Ticinese defeated the Australians Tristan Schoolkate (ATP 129) and James Duckworth (ATP 90), respectively, to earn the right to play for a spot in the main draw this Sunday.

Cheered by the Central Court crowd, Kilian Feldbausch kept his cool to save two break points at 5-5 in the final game before ultimately winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Long held back by injuries, the 19-year-old from Geneva likely experienced one of the finest moments of his career. He now has to follow up on Sunday against Ivan Gakhov (ATP 317). The Russian, who arrived in Geneva from Tunis at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, unexpectedly defeated Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (ATP 106). It’s a great opportunity for Kilian Feldbausch to seize against a potentially fatigued opponent.

Remy Bartola, for his part, simply defeated the top seed of the draw 7-6, 6-4. The Ticinese showed boldness and discipline to secure a landmark victory, just like Kilian Feldbausch. But it still needs to be confirmed this Sunday against Karue Sell (ATP 299). The Brazilian also caused an upset by eliminating Pierre-Hugues Herbert (ATP 141).

The second-round matches of Kilian Feldbausch and Remy Bartola will take place on the side courts this Sunday. The Central Court will host the first two matches of the main draw, two promising clashes starting at 12:00 p.m. with Alexei Popyrin (ATP 25) versus 2023 champion Nicolas Jarry (ATP 53). That match will be followed by Nuno Borges (ATP 40) against 7th seed Alex Michelsen (ATP 32). At 5:30 p.m., an exhibition will kick off to mark the 10th anniversary of the Gonet Geneva Open featuring Martina Hingis, Ana Ivanovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Henri Leconte.

The main draw of the Gonet Geneva Open promises some exciting matchups that are sure to thrill the crowd: Arthur Cazaux vs. Hubert Hurkacz, Kei Nishikori vs. Learner Tien, and Alex Popyrin vs. Nicolas Jarry, the tournament’s 2023 champion. These three encounters are definitely ones to watch.

As we know, Casper Ruud has withdrawn from the Gonet Geneva Open at the last minute. While the defending champion’s absence is regrettable, it does little to dampen the tournament’s appeal. Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic, the top two seeds, are both in Geneva with their sights set on victory. The American, looking sharp in training, and the Serbian will skip the first round. In pursuit of his 100th career title, Novak Djokovic will kick off his campaign against the winner of the match between 2018 champion Marton Fucsovics and Belgian Zizou Bergs.

Two Swiss Players in Qualifying

Granted a wild card, Dominic Stricker will face a qualifier in the first round. The qualifying draw features sixteen players battling for four spots in the main draw. Matches begin Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Leo Borg, son of the legendary Björn Borg, will have the honor of opening play on Center Court. His match against Austrian Sebastian Ofner will be followed by that of Kilian Feldbausch. Ranked 514th in the world, the Genevan will take on Australia’s Tristian Schoolkate (ATP 129). The second Swiss in the qualifiers, Ticino’s Remy Bertola (ATP 297), will face the top seed of the qualifiers, Australian James Duckworth (ATP 90)