Gstaad: Bad weather plays havoc with schedule

Heavy rain means matches are cancelled at Gstaad tennis tournament. Keystone

Heavy rain has forced the organisers of Switzerland's Gstaad tennis tournament to cancel the quarter final matches scheduled for Friday. It is also likely that the three remaining second round matches to be played will be called off.

However, the doubles matches are going ahead since they are taking place indoors.

The tennis player, Marc Rosset, is now the only Swiss player remaining in the Gstaad tennis tournament. He is now waiting to play Argentina’s Franco Squillari in the second round.

Rosset emerged as the victor in the clash against his fellow countryman, Michel Kratochvil. He beat Kratochvil in straight sets.

George Bastl, on the other hand, made it to the second round after having beaten the Argentine player, Lucas Arnold, in straight sets, only to be knocked out by the Chilean, Marcelo Rios 6-3 7-5.

Switzerland’s hopes received a further setback when the teenager Roger Federer was knocked out in the first round of the Gstaad Open by the tournament’s top seed, Alex Corretja.

As well as asking players to contest at least two rounds on the same day, the organisers have further increased the number of courts available. The Swiss Open is normally played on just two courts, but with extra facilities at the town’s sports centre and at the five-star Palace hotel put into use, there are now six courts available.

swissinfo with agencies