ZUG, July 30, 2022
Dominic Stricker advanced to the championship match of the inaugural Finaport Zug Open and will compete in his first final on clay. The 19-year-old Swiss did double duty on Saturday beating his compatriot Alexander Ritschard 6-4, 6-3 in stage of the last eight followed by a 6-4, 6-1 semi-final victory over Geoffrey Blancaneaux.
In front of packed stands at the Tennis Club Zug, Stricker struck seven aces, saved all four break points he faced and broke the Frenchman’s serve four times to prevail after one hour and 16 minutes.
Dominic Stricker, that is just ridiculous.
Shot of the day from the 🇨🇭 teen in Zug.#ATPChallenger | @swiss_tennis pic.twitter.com/OxgHE95S2I
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 30, 2022
“I served incredibly well. This was certainly the key to success,” said Stricker. “I feel very comfortable here in Zug and am really looking forward to playing my first final on clay and the first in an ATP Challenger 125 in front of the Swiss fans.”
Meanwhile, Ernests Gulbis defeated Dimitar Kuzmanov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-1. The 33-year-old qualifier from Latvia won 57 per cent of the total points played to succeed in one hour and 56 minutes.
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World No. 365 Gulbis is bidding for his sixth ATP Challenger career crown, his first since the Terega Open Pau-Pyrenees in France in March 2020. Stricker could lift his third Challenger trophy following his two triumphs on hard court in Lugano, Switzerland 2021 and Cleveland, United States in early February this year.
The pair will meet for the first time.
Kolar/Pavlasek triumph in doubles
In other action, Zdenek Kolar and Adam Pavlasek were crowned doubles champions. The all-Czech combination beat Karol Drzewiecki of Poland and Patrik Niklas-Salminen from Finland 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 11 minutes.
By winning their second team title after the 2019 Koblenz Open in Germany, Kolar and Pavlasek split €7,870 in prize money and collected 125 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
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