Tennis: Valentin Vacherot eliminated in first round at Kitzbühel against Quentin Halys

Always seeking thrills, Monégasque Valentin Vacherot entered the ATP 250 in Kitzbühel, Austria this week. Despite being seeded No. 2, the player from the Principality was eliminated in his first match by Frenchman Quentin Halys.

The bad streak continues for Valentin Vacherot. Hampered by a stress fracture in his foot and bone edema sustained in Rome in May, which flared up at the second round of Roland-Garros, the Monégasque player is trying to regain his touch before the start of the American tour. Back to competition in Gstaad last week, he had managed to win a round before falling to Raphaël Collignon (24 years old, 37th in the world). A rather encouraging comeback that the player wanted to build on.

So it was in Kitzbühel, on clay, that his adventure continued this Wednesday. Unfortunately for him, the Austrian stay turned out to be brief. Against Frenchman Quentin Halys (29 years old, 83rd in the world), the Monégasque was generally overwhelmed by his opponent’s forehand attacks. Although he held his own in the first set, notably creating a few break opportunities, Valentin Vacherot never managed to capitalize in the crucial moments. Dominated by Quentin Halys in top form, particularly with his forehand after a quarter hour of play, there was nothing to be done: 6-3.

The second set was very similar to the first. Despite playing well, the Principality player could do nothing against the Frenchman, who records a fifth victory against a top 20 player this season. Final score: 6-3, 6-4. But no need for concern for Valentin Vacherot, whose level of tennis seems increasingly encouraging as the weeks go by despite a truncated preparation and a completely disrupted schedule.

The important thing will be to tackle the American tour well with the Washington tournament, the Masters 1000 in Canada and Cincinnati, before continuing with the US Open at the end of August. This will be followed by the Asian tour, the scene of his triumph last year, where he will have an enormous number of points to defend to stay in the world’s top 20.