ATP 250 Gstaad Tournament: Wawrinka and Hemery Out in First Round

The first round in Gstaad concluded this Tuesday. After Arthur Rinderknech's early exit earlier in the day, another French player bowed out prematurely. Calvin Hemery, ranked 171st in the world and coming through qualifying, faced 22-year-old wildcard Jérôme Kym.

After a tight match, it was the Swiss player who ultimately prevailed (7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in 2h15). This marks Kym’s very first ATP Tour victory, and he will now aim for a quarterfinal spot against Francesco Passaro, who defeated Rinderknech.

Another early casualty was Stan Wawrinka. The 40-year-old, ranked 156th in the world, continues to struggle through a difficult season. Facing Alexander Shevchenko, the Swiss failed to convert any of his five break points and fell in straight sets (6-3, 6-2 in 1h13).

Shevchenko will next take on his compatriot Alexander Bublik, while Wawrinka’s rough patch persists. Apart from his recent semifinal run at the Iasi Challenger, the three-time Grand Slam champion has struggled since the start of the season, suffering his 11th defeat on clay since March.

Wawrinka is still searching for a win on the main tour since April 1, when he defeated another Kazakh player, Skatov, in the first round of the Bucharest tournament.