Dominic Thiem did not take long to get back to winning ways Monday at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.
The Austrian rode a fast start to a 6-1, 7-6(4) first-round victory against Alexandre Muller at the ATP 250, his first tour-level win since April. The former World No. 3, who lifted the trophy in Gstaad in 2015, saved all four break points he faced in his 95-minute triumph.
“It’s always great to be here. Already on Wednesday, when I arrived, it felt like home here,” said Thiem. “With the surroundings, with the mountains, the fresh air.
“Everything is really great here, and also when I step on the court I feel great memories from 2015 and last year, when I made a nice run to the semis. The conditions here suit my game very well, so I’m super happy that I got the win today as well.”
Thiem will take on #NextGenATP Hamad Medjedovic in the second round in the Swiss Alps as he chases his first ATP Tour crown since returning to action in March last year after a long-term wrist injury. He now holds an 8-2 record in Gstaad, having also reached the semi-finals on his second appearance there in 2022.
The 19-year-old Medjedovic upset fifth seed Zhang Zhizhen 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 for the first ATP Tour victory of his career. The Serbian, who is currently ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race, converted five of his eight break points to book a second-round test against 17-time tour-level titlist Thiem.
Daniel Altmaier and Jaume Munar also enjoyed straight-sets wins to kick-start their campaigns at the clay-court event. Germany’s Altmaier downed Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-4 for his personal-best eighth tour-level win of the year to set a second-round meeting with his countryman, the fourth-seeded Yannick Hanfmann.
Munar saw off home wild card Alexander Ritschard 6-3, 6-3 to improve to 4-0 in opening-round matches in Gstaad. He could face another home favourite, Stan Wawrinka, in the second round, if the Swiss can beat sixth seed Roberto Carballes Baena.
The 24-year-old Zizou Bergs notched his second tour-level win of the season with a hard-fought 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 triumph against eighth seed Laslo Djere. It was the Belgian’s first victory in three Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Djere, having fallen to the Serbian in Gstaad in 2021 and again at this year’s Australian Open. Bergs will take on fellow qualifier Jurij Rodionov next in Switzerland, after the Austrian downed home favourite Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-3, 7-5.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
