Tennis

Quentin Halys' Gravity-Defying Forehand Stuns at Swiss Open GstaadWorld No. 192 Quentin Halys showcased his exceptional talent at the EGF Swiss Open Gstaad, delivering one of the most remarkable shots of the year in the quarterfinals. Facing Gustavo Heide, the French qualifier found himself on the ground after being wrong-footed on game point.Undeterred, Halys unleashed an astonishing forehand with only his upper body strength, sending the ball hurtling towards Heide. Despite the Brazilian's valiant effort, he missed the near-winner, leaving Halys to bask in the applause of the crowd.The momentum from this incredible point carried Halys through the first set, as he dispatched Heide 6-1. In the second set, Halys faced a tougher challenge but ultimately prevailed 7-5, securing his place in only his second ATP semifinal (2023 Estoril).Halys' performance in Gstaad is a testament to his resilience and determination. Despite being ranked outside the Top 150, he has proven that he can compete with the best on the ATP Tour. His projected move into the Top 150 is a well-deserved recognition of his hard work and talent.In the semifinals, Halys will face either No. 4 seed Tomás Martín Etcheverry or No. 5 seed Jan-Lennard Struff. A victory would propel him to the biggest final of his career, further cementing his status as a rising star in the tennis world.

Yuki Bhambri, India's top-ranked doubles player, and his French partner Albano Olivetti fell short in the semifinals of the €205,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Bordeaux, France. The Indo-French duo succumbed to the French pair of Quentin Halys and Nicolas Mahut in a closely contested match, losing 6-4, 7-6(7).Bhambri and Olivetti had a strong start to the tournament, winning their first two matches in straight sets. However, they faced a formidable challenge in Halys and Mahut, who are both experienced and highly ranked doubles players.In the first set, the Indo-French pair broke Halys' serve in the opening game but failed to capitalize on their advantage. Halys and Mahut broke back immediately and went on to win the set 6-4.The second set was even more tightly contested, with both teams holding serve until the tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Halys and Mahut proved to be the more clinical pair, winning 7-6(7) to seal the victory.Despite the loss, Bhambri and Olivetti earned €4,070 and 60 ATP points for their performance in Bordeaux. The tournament was a valuable opportunity for Bhambri to gain experience and improve his doubles ranking.Meanwhile, in the ITF men's event in Kingston, Jamaica, Aryan Shah made a strong showing in both singles and doubles. In the singles semifinals, Shah defeated Ezekiel Clark of the United States in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. However, in the doubles final, Shah and his Swedish partner Leo Borg lost to the Australian-American duo of Jody Maginley and Joshua Sheehy, 4-6, 7-5, [10-2].