A thrilling first instalment

A thrilling first instalment

by | 21 May, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

Despite the support of a sizeable crowd, Jerome Kym (ATP 401) was unable to upset the odds and went down 7-6(2) 6-7(5) 6-4 to Arthur Cazaux (ATP 197). The Swiss player could at least take consolation from playing a full part in the first thriller of the 2023 Gonet Geneva Open, an engrossing match that lasted two hours and 55 minutes.

Kym will be kicking himself, however, having led 0-30 on the Frenchman’s serve at 4-4 in the third set. The all-important break point proved elusive, however, and at 4-5, Cazaux made the most of the home player’s double fault at deuce before hitting a backhand pass down the line to secure victory, the ball clipping the net and then dropping in.

The first round of the qualifying competition provided a fitting start to the tournament. Cazaux will return to the Central at 11:00 on Sunday to fight it out for a place in the main draw with Croatia’s Nino Serdarudic (ATP 305). The first round proper gets under way at 14:00, with Ben Shelton taking on Marco Cecchinato and Benoît Paire facing Christopher Eubanks.

As for the 20-year-old Kym, he has taken an important step forward as he looks to kickstart a career stalled by months of injury problems. Blessed with a fast forehand, he has the means to start climbing the Tour rankings fast and catch up with his compatriots and peers Dominic Stricker and Leandro Riedi.

A main draw to die for

A main draw to die for

by | 19 May, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

If the seedings at the Gonet Geneva Open are to be believed, then Casper Ruud will take on Alexander Zverev in one semi-final and Grigor Dimitrov will do battle with Taylor Fritz in the other, a line-up that is sure to pull the crowds in.

As we all know, however, tennis tournaments are anything but predictable, and it’s hard to see how the Gonet Geneva Open will not throw up its fair share of surprises.

Held on the shores of Lake Geneva in the presence of the city’s mayor, Marie Barbey-Chappuis, Friday’s draw produced several enticing first-round encounters that look too close to call. Take the duel between Zurich’s Marc-Andrea Hüsler (ATP 82) and China’s Yibing Wu (ATP 57) or the clash between Chile’s Nicolas Jarry (ATP 56), a runner-up here in 2019, and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic (ATP 46), a recent winner in Banja Luka. And then there’s the prospective second-round match-ups between Benoît Paire (ATP 160) and Alexander Zverev, and Alexander Bublik (ATP 49) and Taylor Fritz.

With the draw now done, it’s time for the action to begin. Qualifying kicks off on Saturday at 11:00, while the opening matches of the main draw take place on Sunday.

The third wild card for Benoît Paire

The third wild card for Benoît Paire

by | 19 May, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

The third wild card for Benoît Paire

Benoît Paire (ATP 160), one of the most spectacular players on the Tour, will be part of the Gonet Geneva Open, which starts this Saturday. The Frenchman received the third and last wild card from the organizers. The first two wild cards were awarded to Grigor Dimitrov (ATP 33) and Alexander Zverev (ATP 22).

At 34 years old, Benoît Paire is currently having a good series of wins. This spring, he excelled on the Challenger front with a title in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and a final in Francavilla last week. This will be his third appearance at the Gonet Geneva Open. In 2021, he had a superb fight of 2h34′ against the German Dominik Köpfer. Last year, he beat the Finnish Emil Ruusuvuori before losing against the future winner of the tournament Casper Ruud.

The draw for the main draw of the Gonet Geneva Open will take place this evening at 6:30 pm. We will then know the first matches of a tournament that looks so promising.

Alexander Zverev for a second title at the Gonet Geneva Open

Alexander Zverev for a second title at the Gonet Geneva Open

by | 18 May, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

Alexander Zverev for a second title at the Gonet Geneva Open

Winner of the tournament in 2019, Alexander Zverev (ATP 22) will be one of the headliners of the Gonet Geneva Open which starts this Saturday. The Olympic Champion received the second wild card issued by the organizers. The first was awarded to Grigor Dimitrov (ATP 33).

World No. 2 last year after his semifinal match against Rafael Nadal at the French Open, during which he suffered a serious ankle injury, Alexander Zverev is on his way to returning to his best level. He returns to the Parc des Eaux-Vives in the hope of doing as well as he did four years ago. He won the tournament after a thrilling final against Chilean Nicolas Jarry after having saved two match points.

Alexander Zverev, 26, has won 19 tournaments, including the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the Masters twice in 2018 and 2021. He was also a finalist at the US Open in 2020.

In addition, the wild card promised to a Swiss player for the qualifying draw went to Jerome Kym (ATP 401). The 20-year-old from Aargau, who was held back by a knee injury for a long time, won his first ITF Tour title in Trento, Italy in early April.

Grigor Dimitrov returns to the Gonet Geneva Open

Grigor Dimitrov returns to the Gonet Geneva Open

by | 16 May, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

Grigor Dimitrov returns to the Gonet Geneva Open

Grigor Dimitrov (ATP 33) returns to the Gonet Geneva Open, that will start this Saturday, May 20. Present at the Parc des Eaux-Vives in 2019 and 2021, the Bulgarian has received a wild card from the organizers.

Winner of the Masters in 2017 to rise to third place in the ATP rankings and semi-finalist three times in Grand Slam tournaments, Grigor Dimitrov, at 31 years old, remains one of the most appreciated players on the circuit. With his superb one-handed backhand, he has a game that can only delight purists.

Beaten in his last two tournaments by Carlos Alcaraz in Madrid and by Novak Djokovic in Rome, two matches in which he really put up a good fight, Grigor Dimitrov arrives in Geneva with real ambitions. He has the weapons to get involved in the fight for the title.

With the arrival of Grigor Dimitrov, the field of the Gonet Geneva Open, whose two headliners are two-time defending champion Casper Ruud (ATP 4) and Taylor Fritz (ATP 9), now includes 12 of the top 50 players in the ATP rankings. We are waiting for the arrival of other top players by Friday.

Ten of the world’s top fifty players at the Gonet Geneva Open

Ten of the world’s top fifty players at the Gonet Geneva Open

by | 25 April, 2023 | News_slider-en, News_Tournoi-en

Ten of the world’s top fifty players at the Gonet Geneva Open

The eighth edition of the Gonet Geneva Open will not be lacking in appeal. The list of nineteen players who have been admitted directly into the main draw of this ATP 250 tournament, which will take place from May 20 to 27 at the Parc des Eaux-Vives, is indeed full of promise. It brings together ten of the fifty best players in the world.

 Two top-ten players, two-time defending champion Casper Ruud (ATP 4) and Taylor Fritz (ATP 10), the leader of a strong American contingent, are the first headliners of the tournament. Others will follow. With the three wild cards at their disposal, the organizers will be able to attract, as in recent years, other players of great value.

 The tournament cut-off point is 69th place. It is interesting to note that seven players on this list have won an ATP tournament this year: Tallon Griekspoor in Pune, Yibing Wu in Dallas, Taylor Fritz in Delray Beach, Nicolas Jarry in Santiago, Roberto Carballes Baena in Marrakech, Casper Ruud in Estoril and Dusan Lajovic in Banja Luka.

 Swiss No. 1 Marc-Andrea Hüsler does not enter the draw directly because of his ranking (ATP 76). He could however benefit from possible withdrawals to enter the draw.

 Entry list of the Gonet Geneva Open: 

  1. Casper Ruud (NOR/ATP 4)
  2. Taylor Fritz (USA/ATP 10)
  3. Denis Shapovalov (CAN/ATP 27)
  4. Botic van de Zandschulp (NED/ATP 29)
  5. Tallon Griekspoor (NED/ATP 36)
  6. Ben Shelton (USA/ATP 38)
  7. Dusan Lajovic (SRB/ATP 40)
  8. Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP/ATP 42)
  9. Adrian Mannarino (FRA/ATP 46)
  10. J.J. Wolf (USA/ATP 49)
  11. Nicolas Jarry (CHI/ATP 51)
  12. Roberto Carballles Baena (ESP/ATP 53)
  13. Alexander Bublik (KAZ/ATP 55)
  14. Yibing Wu (CHN/ATP 57)
  15. Marcos Giron (USA/61)
  16. Constant Lestienne (FRA/ATP 62)
  17. Jan-Lennard Struff (GER/ATP 65)
  18. John Isner (USA/ATP 68)
  19. Iliya Ivashka (BLR/ATP 69)

The draw will be completed by 2 “special exempt” players, 3 wild card players and 4 players from the qualifiers.