ATP Tour

Vacherot triumphs in first match back from injury, edges Hanfmann in Gstaad R2

Valentin Vacherot made a winning return to the ATP Tour on Wednesday when he rallied past Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to earn a second-round victory at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad.

Competing in his first match since withdrawing from Roland Garros with a foot injury, the third seed shook off the cobwebs after dropping the first set and relied on a strong serving performance to edge the German. Vacherot fired 13 aces and won 73 per cent (49/67) of his first-serve points, according to the Infosys ATP Stats. 

Vacherot is searching to regain form after missing nearly two months due to injury following his withdrawal ahead of his second round match at Roland Garros. The Monegasque missed the entire grass season due to a stress fracture in his foot, but marked his return to action with a two-hour, nine-minute win on his debut in Gstaad. 

Next up for Vacherot will be quarter-final showdown with the seventh seed Raphael Collignon. Earlier in the day, Collignon defeated Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(2), 7-6(5) in two hours and eight minutes.

As Vacherot earned a comeback victory, his cousin Arthur Rinderknech staged a comeback of his own. The Frenchman climbed back from a break and two match points down in the third set to outlast Clement Tabur 6-7(9), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a marathon three-hour, 23-minute contest. The fourth seed Rinderknech hit 16 aces to book his quarter-final spot.