Rosset misses out on Paris

Rosset has often described the French Open as his favourite tournament Keystone

Swiss tennis veteran Marc Rosset has failed to make it into the main draw of the French Open for the first time in 13 years.

Rosset (ATP 114) was beaten in three sets (6-3, 4-6, 3-6) by Morocco’s Karim Alami (ATP 227) during Tuesday’s first round of qualifying.

The 31-year-old former Swiss number one has always described the Paris tournament as his favourite on the circuit and celebrated his greatest Grand Slam performance there when he reached the semi-finals in 1996.

His involvement at Roland Garros this year will now be restricted to the doubles competition where he is set to resume his partnership with Russian world number two Marat Safin.

Swiss women’s number two Patty Schnyder (WTA 23) already has her French Open place assured, but her preparations for the Grand Slam event suffered another setback on Tuesday with an opening round defeat in Madrid.

Schnyder’s straight sets defeat (4-6, 4-6) to Argentina’s Paola Suarez (WTA 54) was her third early exit in three tournaments, having already been knocked out during the first round in Hamburg and the second round in Rome.

However, there was better news on Tuesday for Swiss number three Emmanuelle Gagliardi after she defeated Angèlique Widjaja from Indonesia 6-2, 6-1 in Strasbourg.

Gagliardi will face Zuzana Ondraskova from the Czech Republic in the second round of the qualifying tournament.

swissinfo with agencies