Medvedev reappears with defeat; Andujar and Ramos, KO

Daniil Medvedev, number two in the world, reappeared this Tuesday with defeat after a month and a half without playing. The Russian, who decided to stop after Indian Wells to undergo surgery for a small herniated disc, was contesting the ATP 250 in Geneva as the only preparation tournament on clay before Roland Garros. And he said goodbye to it this afternoon, at the first change, by losing against the Frenchman Richard Gasquet by 6-2 and 7-6(5).

The Russian could hardly hurt the rest, and Gasquet, now number 75 in the world at 35 years old, took advantage of the mistakes of a Medvedev lacking rhythm to achieve two breaks and take the first set. In the second set, the Frenchman again took the lead, but in what was only Medvedev’s second break chance, the Russian took advantage of it to level the score. With that tie, an even tie-break was reached, in which Gasquet got the match point that he did not waste. The Frenchman thus advances to the quarterfinals of the Swiss tournament, where he will face the winner of Cecchinato-Majchrzak.

In this way, Medvedev, who was the first seed of the event, will arrive at Roland Garros having played a single match, today, on clay. The one in Paris has never been a Grand Slam that the world number two has done well. Between 2017 and 2020, Medvedev always lost in the first round, and last year they had to settle for the quarterfinals.

The two Spaniards in Geneva, eliminated

Only two Spanish players appeared in the final table of the ATP 250 in Geneva, in Switzerland. And, this Tuesday, the two have been eliminated in their first round match. With the defeats of Pablo Andújar and Albert Ramos, the Swiss tournament, which is played on clay, is now left without Spanish representation.

The first in contention this morning was Pablo Andújar. The man from Cuenca, number 83 in the ATP ranking, faced the Portuguese Joao Sousa, number 79. The entrance to the match was not easy for Andújar, who gave up two of his first three serves, which allowed Sousa to take the set with ease. In the second sleeve, the Spaniard managed to get 3-0, but again two breaks from the Portuguese turned the score around. Finally, the victory was awarded to Sousa 6-1 and 6-4, who awaits the Georgian Basilashvili in the round of 16.

Things were not better for Albert Ramos, who is not having his best tour on clay. The Barcelonan, number 42 in the world, has succumbed today to the Australian Christopher O’Connell, number 124, by 7-6 (5) and 6-4. Ramos, who has already accumulated four consecutive losses, lost the first set in the tie-break, and his rival took advantage of the inertia to get the only break of the match in the second set. O’Connell’s opponent in the next round will be fourth-seeded American Opelka.