Daniil Medvedev famously doesn’t like clay courts, and he certainly won’t like the clay in Geneva after crashing out early from the ATP 250 event.
Medvedev has been on record for not liking clay. The Russian has many reasons why he doesn’t like clay, but generally, it’s not really the best surface for his playstyle. Even if he doesn’t like clay, he can still play well on the surface.
He didn’t show that, though, at the Geneva Open recently, where he made his comeback after missing some time after undergoing surgery. The Russian was dealing with a hernia that needed surgical attention.
After undergoing the surgery, he missed the majority of the clay season but elected to play at the Geneva Open to get at least some playing time on the red dirt ahead of the French Open.
This event is the final event before Roland Garros in the calendar, so players stop by for some final tuneups. The tuneup didn’t last long for Medvedev, as he’s out of the tournament after the first match.
The Russian didn’t have the best draw as he faced Richard Gasquet in the first round. Gasquet was very familiar with the courts, and it showed in this match.
The Russian player also showed considerable rust which is to be expected after the amount of time he missed. The first set was a quick one for Gasquet as he won it 6-2 without too many problems.
Medvedev showed a bit more fight in the second set, even though Gasquet won it relatively comfortably as well. The set was decided in a tie-break, which the Frenchman won 7-5 to win the match 6-2, 7-6(5).
For Gasquet, it was a solid win over the World No. 2 player, while Medvedev got to experience clay before moving to the French capital for a major.