GENEVA (AP) — Two-time French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem is still without a win in an injury-affected season after another first-round exit on Monday in his last tournament before Roland Garros.
Thiem, ranked No. 194, was beaten by No. 134 Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 6-4 at the Geneva Open.
The loss dropped Thiem’s record to 0-5 in 2022, all on clay courts. He returned in April from a 10-month absence because of a right wrist injury that prevented him from defending his 2020 U.S. Open title.
The high point of Thiem’s match was two between-the-legs shots for winners in the same sixth game of the second set, leaving Cecchinato looking bemused at the net as the balls passed his forehand side.
Still, Cecchinato held serve in that game and saved all seven break chances Thiem had in the match.
Cecchinato clinched on his second match-point chance with a forehand winner down the line.
Earlier on Geneva’s center court, Richard Gasquet beat John Millman 6-3, 6-1 to earn a second-round match against top-seeded Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday.
The No. 2-ranked Medvedev got a wild card after six weeks out to have hernia surgery. The final in Geneva is on Saturday, one day before the French Open starts.
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