First Swiss victory in Gstaad: Stricker advances to the round of 16 after a brilliant performance

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Dominic Stricker from Gross Höchstetten BE advances to the eighth finals at the home tournament in Gstaad. The 20-year-old Stricker (ATP 106) defeated the one year younger Frenchman Arthur Fils (ATP 68) 7: 6 (7: 4), 7: 6 (7: 4).

Swiss tennis fans finally have a reason to celebrate at the Swiss Open. After the defeats of Alexander Ritschard and Marc-Andrea Hüsler, Dominic Stricker made it to the second round in Gstaad for the second time.

Stricker must put on a brilliant performance in the near-packed Roy Emerson Arena to put Fils in their place. De Berner secured the first set in a tiebreak with 7: 4. In the second set, Fils initially turns the tables. The Frenchman leads 5:3 after an early break before Stricker equalizes and wins the tiebreak again.

“I’m playing good tennis at the moment,” said Stricker afterwards: “I’m glad there were so many people in the stadium in the first round. It’s a great win against a player who is on his way to the top.”

Now the number 2 of the tournament awaits

Fils won the ATP 250 tournament in Lyon in May, but then suffered first-round defeats at the French Open and Wimbledon. Two years ago he was in the junior final of the French Open, but unlike Stricker the year before, he lost it.

In the eighth finals, Stricker will meet the number 2 placed Miomir Kecmanovic (ATP 41), against whom he has never played. If he also wins this competition, he should be in the top 100 of the world rankings for the first time. (SDA/dti)

Source : Blick