Five seeds eliminated across two tournaments. The first round at Kitzbühel and Estoril delivered a wave of upsets on Tuesday, reshaping draws the favourites thought they controlled.
In Kitzbühel, the most dramatic fall belonged to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the eighth seed, demolished by Marco Trungelliti 6-2, 6-1 in barely over an hour. The Argentine, usually reliable on clay, never found his rhythm against an inspired opponent. The other notable exit was Raphaël Collignon, the seventh seed, beaten by Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-2. Just three days after contesting the Gstaad final against Tsitsipas, the 24-year-old Belgian appeared physically and mentally drained. The contrast between Sunday's fire and Tuesday's flatness illustrates the cruelty of the ATP calendar.
Jan-Lennard Struff, the sixth seed, nearly joined the casualty list. The German had to come from a set down against Aleksandr Shevchenko, prevailing 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in a tense encounter. Sebastian Baez defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
In Estoril, the pattern repeated itself. Eduardo Faria knocked out Botic Van De Zandschulp, the sixth seed, 6-3, 6-4. The Dutchman, a 2024 US Open quarterfinalist, could not handle the Portuguese player's aggression. Hugo Gaston also advanced after Dzumhur retired at 5-0.
But the best story of the day came from Estoril. Tiago Torres, ranked 427th in the world and a local favourite, recorded his first career ATP main-draw win by defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-2. The 21-year-old Portuguese, who entered on a wild card, thrilled the Clube de Ténis do Estoril crowd.
Among the survivors, Nuno Borges, the fifth seed and fellow Portuguese, cruised past Luz 6-3, 6-3. Pablo Carreño Busta, the eighth seed, dispatched Gaubas 6-1, 6-3 with the efficiency of a 35-year-old veteran. Luca Van Assche, a 21-year-old Frenchman, earned a three-set win over local player Silva, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1.
The second round begins on Wednesday with the top four seeds entering the fray at both events. In Kitzbühel, Alexander Bublik, Valentin Vacherot, Arthur Rinderknech and Tomas Martin Etcheverry start their campaigns. In Estoril, Andrey Rublev and Luciano Darderi make their first appearances.
