Arthur Rinderknech crossed the first round of the ATP 250 tournament on clay of Kitzbühel and will challenge Norbert Gombos. He eliminated Hugo Gaston, yet a finalist last year.
With the Umag tournament, this is the last clay tournament of the season on the ATP circuit, and three French people decided to participate. Arthur Cazaux (semi-finalist in Gstaad last week), Hugo Gaston and Arthur Rinderknech are present in the Austrian station this week. A reigning finalist, Hugo Gaston was the first tricolor in the running on the land of Kitzbühel. The 99th world challenged the qualified Slovak Norbert Gombos, 307th, but he lost in two sets and 1h24: 6-3, 6-4. Decreased by pain in the left arm, which required the intervention of the physiotherapist when it was already poorly embarked in the first set, the Toulousain notably committed four double-fumes and was breed three times in this match. From the start of the game, Gaston quickly found himself led 3-0, but managed to break up to return to 2-3. A short -lived joy since he has again lost his service in stride. Gombos was finally able to conclude at 5-3 on his first set ball.
In the second round, Gaston lost his service at 1-1 and missed four Débreak opportunities during a long game at 1-2. He then had no more opportunities to take the service of the Slovak, which won at 5-4 on his third match ball. This is a loss heavy with consequences for the Toulousain, which will lose 165 points following his past year final and leave the Top 100. He will try to recover during the North American hard season, with the qualifications of the Masters 1000 in Toronto as of this weekend.
Rinderknech was snatched
In the round of 16, Norbert Gombos will be opposed to Arthur Rinderknech, who was extricated from this first round, eliminating Facundo Bagnis, from qualifying. The 65th world player defeated the 772nd, who had not played from August 2024 to March 2025 due to an injury to a calf and a knee, on the score of 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 after a battle of 2:48. The Frenchman served 12 Aces during this meeting, but lost his service four times. The first round was rich in twists and turns, with a Bagnis which led 2-0, then a Rinderknech which led 5-3, before being joined (5-5). The Frenchman finally pocketed the Channel in Tie-Break (7-4). In the second, the Argentinian succeeded in the break at 2-2 and held up to the end.
So we had to play a third set, where the Frenchman rocked after losing his service at 1-1, then finished strongly winning the last six points of the match. He therefore offered a revenge to the one who had eliminated him in Gstaad in 2023. On paper, Rinderknech will leave favorite against Gombos, but beware of the trap. Also note this Monday the qualification of the seeded n ° 7 Francisco COMESANA (6-3, 7-6 against Boyer) and the n ° 9 Marton Fucsovics (6-2, 2-6, 6-3 against Schwaerzler).
