Rinderknech Falls Early in Metz: World No. 28 Eliminated by Altmaier in First Round

Arthur Rinderknech lost in the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in Metz against Daniel Altmaier.

The French players were on the schedule this Tuesday for the final edition of the Metz tournament. World No. 28 thanks to his final at the Shanghai Masters 1000 in early October, Arthur Rinderknech opened the program on the Center Court against Daniel Altmaier.

World No. 46, the German arrived in Metz with four defeats in his last six official matches. Despite a round of 16 last week at the Paris Masters 1000, Altmaier has had an up-and-down year.

The favorite for this encounter in their first-ever meeting, Rinderknech, however, did not find the key in this match. The 30-year-old player could not convert his two break points and was broken in the very first game of the match, which allowed Altmaier to win the set.

The script of the second set was different, as it was the Frenchman who led the way. But he was broken at the worst moment, at 5-4. The German was able to wrap up the match in stride (6-4, 6-4 in 1h25) to advance to the round of 16. There he will meet another French player, Hugo Gaston. The latter had qualified on Sunday against Terence Atmane (6-4, 6-1).

Rinderknech's season is not over, however, and he will take part in the Davis Cup Final 8 in the coming days with France, who will face Belgium in Bologna in the first quarter-final of the 2025 edition.