It was a straightforward debut at the Bastad courts for Hugo Gaston, who cruised past Chun-Hsin Tseng in the first round of the Nordea Open, securing a 2-0 victory (6-4, 6-3) and booking his spot in the last 16. The match lasted 1 hour and 19 minutes.
Despite a strong start from Tseng—who was the first to reach break point—he struggled to find consistency in his strokes, committing numerous unforced errors at crucial moments (27 compared to Gaston’s 22). The Frenchman, on the other hand, asserted control early on, pressuring the player from Chinese Taipei and breaking serve to go up 2-1. Although Tseng had chances to break back—most notably at 3-2 after a brilliant forehand winner—poor shot selection let him down. Gaston, covering the court with agility, repeatedly shut down his opponent’s attempts to get back into the set.
Gaston saved 5 of the 6 break points he faced (83%), while Tseng converted only 1 of 5 (20%). A key statistic was Tseng’s low success rate on his second serve, winning just 7 of 19 points (37%), in contrast to Gaston’s 13 of 23 (57%). Currently ranked No. 91 in the world (with a career high of No. 58), the French left-hander displayed a full range of his skills—alternating between deep baseline shots and well-executed drop shots that left Tseng motionless.
The first set unfolded without any major shifts in momentum. Both players held their serves consistently, but the early break was enough for Gaston to close it out 6-4.
The second set mirrored the first: Tseng opened with a love hold, only for Gaston to break immediately for 2-1 with excellent defense and relentless court coverage. With a stunning drop shot display, the 24-year-old from Toulouse electrified the crowd and secured a second break for a comfortable 4-1 lead. Tseng responded with a break of his own, hitting impressive backhand winners that gave him a lifeline.
At 4-3, Tseng once again had a break point, but an unforced error cost him the chance to level the match. Gaston capitalized to move up 5-3 and edge closer to victory. Seizing his opportunity, the Frenchman converted his first match point on Tseng’s serve, breaking once again to seal the second set 6-3.
Playing in the Swedish Open for just the second time in his career (after 2022), Hugo Gaston will now face Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur (world No. 70) in the round of 16. Dzumhur also advanced with a straight-sets win over Sebastian Ofner. Fans in Bastad can look forward to a thrilling showdown as the two battle for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Nordea Open.
Written by Achilleas Tsakalidis
