Geneva– India’s Yuki Bhambri and his American doubles partner Robert Galloway made an early exit from the Geneva Open after losing a tightly contested opening-round match to Germany’s Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner on Wednesday.
Seeded second at the ATP 250 clay-court event, Bhambri and Galloway were upset 6-7(3), 4-6 in the Round of 16. The tournament is the final lead-up to the French Open, making it a crucial stop for players hoping to fine-tune their clay-court form.
Despite flashes of promise in recent weeks—including a runner-up finish at the Bordeaux Challenger—Bhambri and Galloway couldn’t carry their momentum into Geneva. With the early loss, the pair earned €3,240 in prize money but no ATP ranking points.
The match began with both pairs holding serve through the first set, pushing it to a tiebreak. Schnaitter and Wallner proved steadier in the pressure moments, claiming the breaker 7-3. The German duo then capitalized on a key service break in the second set, holding serve efficiently to seal the match in straight sets.
For 31-year-old Bhambri, the defeat is another setback in what has been a rocky European clay swing. Before his success in Bordeaux, he had suffered a string of first-round exits—at Monte Carlo (with Alexei Popyrin), Munich, the Madrid Masters, and the Rome Masters.
With Roland Garros just around the corner, Bhambri will be looking to regroup and find consistency. His Bordeaux performance hinted at a return to form, and he will be eager to translate that into deeper runs at upcoming events.
The Geneva Open, with a total prize purse of €596,035, continues this week with a competitive field in both singles and doubles, as players prepare for the grueling battles ahead in Paris. (Source: IANS)
