Successful Gstaad start
Ritschard clinches first victory on the ATP tour
Alexander Ritschard (ATP 190) celebrates his first victory on the ATP tour. At the Gstaad tournament, Zurich beat João Sousa (ATP 58).
He has already been in the Wimbledon main draw and has done well there. But Alexander Ritschard has not yet won on the ATP tour – until today! The Zurich native beat João Sousa (ATP 58) 6: 3, 6: 3 in the first round of the Swiss Open. “It’s a great experience, I was happy to play at home,” he said after the game.
The result is relatively clear, but it’s a hard-fought affair, especially in the first set. The rallies are tight, but Ritschard is able to get the decisive break to make it 4:3 and then doesn’t let the sentence be taken away.
False start in the second set
The second set starts badly for the 28-year-old, who is suddenly 3-1 down. But despite the reserve, he chases his opponent across the court, especially when he serves himself. With the audience behind him, Ritschard starts to run hot, plays himself into a frenzy and wins five games in a row. With the first match point, he secures victory after an hour and a half.
In-Albon in Palermo without a chance
Ylena In-Albon was eliminated in the 1st round of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo. The 23-year-old from Valais (WTA 124) clearly lost 2: 6, 4: 6 to the in-form French Léolia Jeanjean, who was 27 places behind her in the world rankings.
So In-Albon is still waiting for the first win at this level. After good results at ITF tournaments, she recently suffered five defeats in a row.
Jeanjean, who is three and a half years her senior, has climbed from outside the top 1000 to the top 150 over the past year and a half. The French Open reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
Ylena In-Albon was eliminated in the 1st round of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo. The 23-year-old from Valais (WTA 124) clearly lost 2: 6, 4: 6 to the in-form French Léolia Jeanjean, who was 27 places behind her in the world rankings.
So In-Albon is still waiting for the first win at this level. After good results at ITF tournaments, she recently suffered five defeats in a row.
Jeanjean, who is three and a half years her senior, has climbed from outside the top 1000 to the top 150 over the past year and a half. The French Open reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.
The fact that Ritschard only clinched his first victory at the age of 28 is due to the course of his career. For a long time he played college tennis in the USA alongside his studies, and health problems also endangered his career. “Those were four great years,” he looks back.
He was able to take advantage of his time overseas on Monday evening: the remaining heat of the day didn’t bother him on the pitch. He found it “pleasant”. “I lived in Florida for a few years, it’s extremely humid there. I guess the years have helped me a little.”
