Swiss tennis is regaining color this fall. The day after the great resistance offered by Jérôme Kym in front of Ugo Humbert, Dominic Stricker (ATP 258) took the spotlight in his turn at the Swiss Indoors. In Basel where he was a quarter-finalist last year, the Bernese left-hander won 6-4 6-4 in the first round against the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor (ATP 35).
Faced with a Griekspoor who came out of a semi-final in Stockholm but who also conceded a lot of generosity, Dominic Stricker delivered a very solid match.
Behind a service that slammed wonderfully – 14 aces – the left-hander only conceded two break points in this match, both in the final game of the game. Trailing 15-40, he was able to keep his calm to win the last four points of the match and to secure an indisputable victory.
Two top-50 in one week
After going through difficult months since his return to the courts last June, Dominic Stricker has just beaten two top-50 players in the space of a week, Matteo Berrettini in Stockholm and Griekspoor in Basel. “The back holds. My game is there again. I found confidence again. I want to get back to where I was“, he assures. That is to say a player ranked in the top-100 capable of reaching the round of 16 of a Grand Slam tournament.
His next opponent on Thursday in Basel will be the Dane Holger Rune (ATP 14). Even if the road will improve, it would be absurd not to give Dominic Stricker any chance for this round of 16.
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